EX0DUS: The Death Trinity
by TheLivingPortal
Summary: After a GOD-creating project known as Project EX0DUS went awry, the original test subject must right his wrongs 1003 cycles after the experiment. To prevent the end of rebirths, he must kill his God-obsessed cousin, deal with his genocidal past as Death, the ultimate murderer, and his own curse: to be rejected by those that he protects and loves. 1st original, please review.
1. Prologue: Project EX0DUS

Prologue: Project EX0DUS

Years ago, universes ago, Project EX0DUS began. It was done for one thing: to recreate God in a Godless world. To start, they created a super-race, composed of people from varying races.

They succeeded the first time. A miracle.

And just as suddenly as it happened, the new god sealed away his powers.

The creators were furious, but they couldn't kill him. He could only be killed if he wanted to die while harboring an extremely fatal wound. Even then, he could come back to life.

So they created more Gods, all in a sense success, but also failures. They all sealed up their powers.

Each subject had a unique power, a control over something. Time distortion was one such example, but gravity and control of momentum were other examples.

They were, for all purposes, immortal, only killable by rare methods.

They tested upon 169 subjects. The last one brought the end of the universe.

Not every subject could escape it. Only 16 subjects escaped the End of the First Universe, which set off the start of the new universe.

Species went extinct, leaving the remaining subjects the last of their kind. But some of those species came back in the new universes, such as elfs and humans. Some vanished from existence.

Some of them were friends of each other. But in the chaos, they separated, and never saw each other for universes.

Their motives were twisted, and they all experienced agony alone.

They caused destruction because of the raw power that came from them. They all became accidental killers.

Eventually they sealed up their powers, and decided to protect humanity.

Except the last one.

He caused the chaos, the misery and pain.

He wanted to kill. To murder. To massacre all of humanity for what it had done.

And so, he corrupted many of the former subjects.

They fought each other.

Only one realized the real danger.

* * *

_Unlimited power corrupts the possessor._

_-William Pit, 1st Earl of Chatham_

_Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful. It's the transition that's troublesome._

_-Issac Asimov_

_Playing God is as dangerous for God as it is for humans._

_-George Hammond_


	2. Chapter 1: The Living Portal

Chapter 1: The Living Portal

It was a moonless night. Perfect for the mountain bandits, as they crept upon another stranger, dressed in orange, black, and blue.

They readied themselves for the ambush, and treaded with caution. The last stranger they ambushed happened to be a excellent hunter, armed to the teeth with daggers and armor-piercing arrows.

The bandits reached the stranger, and were about to pounce on him until...

"Stop right there!"

Every mountain bandit stood still except one, who proceeded to try and stab the stranger's foot with his rusty sword.

He had no second thought. His own rusty sword stabbed into his brain, and killed him.

The bandit leader let out a gasp. The sword clearly went through the stranger's foot, and yet he still saw his comrade messily brained. He was about to run, until...

"Light."

Every bandit still remaining let out a gasp, as they could see clearly as if night was day. Then they got a good look at their target.

He was tall, and around 5'11". His body was tanned and well-muscled. But his most prominent features were his eyes and arms.

His eyes were different. One looked normal, with odd markings on it. The other had a iris that changed color as he blinked. His arms were different: one was mechanical, while the other had runic marking on it.

The bandit leader sensed he was dealing with a demon. But demons would not use a light spell...

He decided was having a bad day, and ordered his men to retreat. No responding call was heard. His men were already dead, killed by remaining burns, shards, and weapon wounds.

Then he saw no more, as the stranger decapitated the leader.

"Well, that was a messy affair." said the stranger. "I better get to a inn. 1003 universes worth of ambushs can make anyone hungry."

He opened a portal to a inn and stepped through.

"Who are you?" asked the surprised innkeeper. He was not used to strangers appearing out of thin air.

"My name is Hollow'd." said the stranger. "Number 01, The Living Portal. Do you have a single room?"

"Yes. We have many. Which one do you want?"

"A room on the second floor. Small, but comfy."

"We have just that room. That will be 250 World Credits."

"250 WC! Man, that is a bonus! I'll pay 500 WC. The extra is a tip."

"Alright then. Here's the keys. Can I get you anything to eat?"

"Yes! Do you have salmon?"

"Yes. I have a meal ready."

"How much is it?"

"15 WC."

"I'll have it then."

Hollow'd payed up, and ate the well-cooked salmon before sleeping soundly in his bed. He woke up to the sound of a bomb.


	3. Chapter 2: Inferno Incarnate

Chapter 2: Inferno Incarnate

"No! Not the lava sword! Noooooo..."

"Too late. Time to burn." said a female voice.

"Wait! I can make a special deal-"

His words were shut off as his heart burned up and turned to stone.

"One annoying merchant down, more killer merchants left!" she said. As she spoke, every merchant in town took out their weapons. Some were simple swords. Others were full-fledged mecha suits, ready to be activated.

Whirling noises filled the trading square as mecha suits turned on and took out huge laser swords. 15 swords swung at her, and hit dead-on.

Nothing happened to the woman. She wasn't even burned.

"Not even close. Let me show you hot."_  
_

The temperature suddenly spiked, and the mecha suits flash melted, along with their merchant pilots. Everyone stared in astonishment.

"What is your name, she-devil?"

"My name is Seraphim. Number 07, Inferno Incarnate. Take a good look before I burn you to ashes." she said. "I go by Sera."

They did take a good look. She was tall, around 5'8". Her body was that of a professional athlete, and was well tanned. Long, mane-like fire colored hair reached to her waist, and she stared at them with flame colored eyes. As the merchants would put it, she was sexy.

"Time's up." she said. "Time for hell to break loose. I'll turn up the heat to stellar levels."

She smiled, and touched the ground.

Immediately, the ground steamed, then turned to plasma. Everyone around her was consumed by the super-heated ground. She smiled, and the heat disappeared. The only things left were ashes and stone for ground.

"Another foundation and a happier town. Better find a inn. This work is making me tired."

As she walked down the path to the inn, she saw a government building burning. Already half of the building was gone. A firefighter approached her.

"Did you kill all of those evil merchants?"

"Yes. You want me to put out the fire?"

"Yes! Hurry up! The freaking mayor is still in there."

Sera smiled again, and closed her eyes as every fire in and on the government building flicked out. The mayor shortly exited the building, with wonderment on his face.

"Thank you! How can I repay-"

"Get me a good hotel room, and I'll be fine." she said.

15 minutes later she was outside a inn called The Penny Pincher, widely said to be the best inn in town. She was about to enter, when the inn blew up.


	4. Chapter 3: Door to Hell

Chapter 3: Door to Hell

Sera stood shocked, as a man stood up and look at her. His eyes were different.

As he stood, he held up the lifeless body of the innkeeper. He dropped it and cried.

Sera didn't care about this man's feelings. She had only one emotion: anger. She had only one thought: revenge.

The man looked up again, and only said "The name is Hollow'd, Sera."

Sera didn't care. She already set the ground on fire. Her lava sword was in her hands, and with an effort, she stabbed Hollow'd in the heart.

Hollow'd crumbled, the sword still in his heart. Only a whirling noise could be heard.

Sera frowned, as she wondered what it could be...

"Booting up: Source Hollow'd. Updating target roster... update complete. Initiating order: termination."

Hollow'd stood back up. His eyes were still there, but with no emotion. He shot missiles from his right arm, with a emotionless face. As he stood up he gripped the lava sword, and threw it back at Sera. Then he stopped.

"Shutting down: Source Hollow'd... shut down complete."

He moved again, and he was alive again as Sera kicked him into a mini-star.

He crumbled again, covered in various burns and stab marks.

"Why was there daggers in that star... Oh well. At least I can do two things. _Resurrect. __Rebuild_."

After he spoke, the inn rebuilt. All of the dead guests came back alive. Then he lost consciousness...

Sera looked down at Hollow'd, and felt remorse. He undid the evils he did...

"Wait! He's still alive! What the heck?" she said.

The least she could do was heal him. So she carried his limp body on her back, and took him back to her room.

"27 burns and 51 stab marks! Darn it! I should have been more careful." she said as she dressed his wounds.

"Third-degree burn there, and... metal? Wait a minute. Why does he have a mechanical right arm?"

As she spoke, he got up, with a grimace of pain.

Hollow'd groaned and said "Its a part of me. Source design. Don't take it off, its part of me...:

Sera doubted Hollow'd words. She saw him blow up the inn and kill people. She saw suffering around her.

Yet she also saw suffering in his eyes. So with an effort , she restrained herself. She still had one question though...

"What are you?"


	5. Chapter 4: Origins of Two

Chapter 4: Origins of Two

"Before I got here, I was 1003 universes old. I existed before this universe, even though I look 24." said Hollow'd.

"My eyes are different because of my parents. One was of the Source, which was the first technological race. The other was the origin, the creator of all magic. Because of this, I have a mechanical eye and a magical eye. The same goes for my arms."

"Why can you cast magic from your robot arm then?" asked Sera.

"I found out that technology works better with magic, and vise versa. There were certain limitations with Source technology and Origin magic, but by combining them I managed to create God-level tech and magic. So I added magical and technological components to my arms and eyes. I can't do it now, though."

"But why? Is it because it takes up lots of energy?"

"No. Its that I've sealed it away."

"So you forgot about it?"

"No. I can still teach it, but I can't cast it due to my limiters."

"Limiters? Wait a minute... you attacked with with limiters!?"

"Yep. I have to do it, or else people die around me."

"YOU RELEASED YOUR LIMITER IN THAT INN?! YOU HEARTLESS-"

"That wasn't me releasing a limiter. That was a bandit trying to kill me with a bomb. Military-grade explosives. Also, I have multiple limiters."

"In that case, can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"When I fought you, you became... this... emotionless robot. How, and why?"

"Like I said, the robotic arm is part of me. Which means that through it I can become part robot, and forcibly move my body. If I didn't do that, you would probably mutilate my body. Also, the same goes with my magical arm."

Sera looked away shamefully. She knew what he said was true.

"I'll tell you my origins, Hollow'd." she said. "I am also 1003 universes old. Existed before this universe, though I look only 23."

"Who were your parents?"

"My father was human. My mother was a Blaze, a species similar to humans, except that they are immune to fire and lava. All of them can throw fireballs."

"You use limiters."

Sera looked at Hollow'd, with surprise on her face. "How did you guess?"

Hollow'd closed his eyes. "1003 universe ago, Project EX0 started. Anyone part of that _have _to use multiple limiters, or risk destroying worlds."

"Project EX0?! Limiters?! Who are you?"

Hollow'd opened his eyes again. "I am Hollow'd, Number 01, The Living Portal. Power over portals."

Sera let out a gasp. "I'm Sera, Number 07, Inferno Incarnate. Power over heat."

Instantly Hollow got up, and cradled his head. "Sera... Seraphim! What have I done..." He started crying.

Sera turned around, and also cried. Hollow'd was her best friend, before the end of the first universe. With a shock, she realized they had never seen each other for universes. Then she realized that Hollow'd was asleep.

She sat on the bed next to Hollow'd, and looked at him.


	6. Chapter 5: Powers in the Night

Chapter 5: Powers in the Night

Hollow'd slept as Sera readied her weapons in the case that he woke up as a killer. She wasn't about to take her chances, after seeing what he could do. Still, she wondered about his powers. Portal powers...

"Need I explain it to you?" murmured Hollow'd.

"WHAT!? I though you were asleep!"

"There's a difference between sleeping, closing eyes, and being partly awake. The machine part of me is always awake, unless I manually turn it off." explained Hollow'd.

"Can you explain your powers?"

"Sure. Just let the rest of me wake up."

Hollow'd opened his eyes, and got up next to Sera.

"I can create portals anywhere, and I am a portal. These portals can have a boundary or not, and can lead to a alternate universe..."

"Which one? Maybe... say Limbo?"

"I could make a portal there. But the alternate universe has everything at every moment."

"Then why didn't you get something that would kill me?"

Hollow'd looked at Sera. "I believe I explained that universes ago. But everything in there has to be found. The more important a item is, the harder it is to find. And when I mean find, I mean 10 years to find a magical sword that was behind your starting point the whole time. Can you explain your power?"

Sera breathed in before speaking. "I control heat and everything related to it. That includes lightning, flash freezing, nuclear fusion, lava, love, etc. As a side-result, I can master anything heat-related."

"Such as flamethrowers and the Fire Phoenix Squadron spell?"

"Yes." Strangely enough, Sera felt comfortable explaining her power to Hollow'd. Every other person that heard her explain shortly after tried to kill her.

Hollow'd fiddled around with his right arm. "Sera, I feel like I can trust you. I've turned off my machine part, and since I know your weakness, I'll tell you mine. Explosions always hurt me. Now then, good night." He went to sleep.

Sera stared at Hollow'd's face. It was peaceful... enough for her to get to work.

She took out a lava sword, and got ready to stab him... until he got up and impaled himself on it.

Immediately she dropped the sword, and noticed that a ice arrow was embedded in his back. Her sword was in his shoulder.

"Hollow'd?! Stay still... I'll treat you..." she said as she started crying.

Hollow'd took out the arrow and the sword. Still bleeding, he hugged Sera.

"It's okay..." he said in a gentle, quiet voice. "It's alright..."

"ITS NOT ALRIGHT!" bursted Sera. "ITS... not alright..."

"At least you're safe." he said as he crumbled back into the bed.

Sera looked down at Hollow'd and realized something...


	7. Chapter 6: Past the Darkness

Chapter 6: Past the Darkness

Sera felt warm around Hollow'd, a feel-good feeling so big she couldn't convince herself that it didn't exist. As she blushed, she realized she loved Hollow'd.

She remembered the past. When the other test subjects bullied her, Hollow'd always stood up for her. He helped her control her powers and gave her a basis for her weaponry and attacks. Though he was handsome, in that wild yet kind look, there was another reason. His past was dark.

She remembered that Hollow'd's parents were killed, 2 years after he was born. Though that was enough for his parents to make him master Source technology and Origin magic, he was a orphan from a early age. From that time onwards, he was sold into the care of a kind but demanding master, who made him work until he was little more than a zombie. Then, when he was around 24, he was brought in as the first experiment. She shuddered at what he had to face: equipment that were little more than torture devices, a crystal that would kill everyone but a select few, and endless testing.

She remembered the first time she saw him. He was working on a robotic right arm with high-intensity magic and his left arm. Where his right arm was, there was only a metal base, designed to link to his nerves, bones, and flesh. It was designed to also cover up the stump where his right arm was.

That day, he explained to her that they needed to cut off his right arm to develop precise portal technology. As far as he knew, they haven't even started on the project. When she asked, he would always turn away.

He needed her, Sera realized. She might be the only ray of light in his world.

Sera climbed into the bed next to Hollow'd. She wrapped her arms around him, and kissed his forehead.

He didn't stir. So Sera kissed his lips.

She was about to go to sleep when Hollow'd hugged her.

Sera went to full consciousness in shock. She blushed.

"Thank... you." said Hollow'd. He started crying.

"Why are you crying?" she whispered.

"That first day I met you, I loved you. It's still the same today."

"Ooookay then. Now then, lets go to-"

Hollow'd kissed her, and only said "I love you."

Sera returned the kiss, and they feel asleep in their arms.


	8. Chapter 7: Fire in the Void

Chapter 7: Fire in the Void

"Time to train." said Hollow'd. "I know a place where we use our powers without destroying a town."

"Where? The far north? I doubt you would know such a place." said Sera.

Hollow'd opened a portal. "Hold my hand."

"Why? So you can hug me again?"

"No. Though that would be nice. The reason I'm asking you is because we are going into that alternate dimension. I like to call it Limbo, though it really doesn't have a name."

"It's absolute madness? What are you thinking!?"

"It's only madness when you get lost in it. Limbo is where I first lost and regained my sanity. Where we are going is an arena that I found. We should be able to train there."

"Then we can release our limiters?"

"We are training with limiters. At full power we could overkill each other if we aren't careful. Now then, shall we go in?"

Sera gripped Hollow'd's hand. "Lead the way." she said.

He walked in, along with Sera, and both were falling… into an unused ancient arena.

Stone arches surrounded both of them along with ripped flags, skeletons, and rusted spears.

Hollow'd let go of Sera. "This is where we train. Let's get started."

He walked so that he was in front of Sera.

"Ready?" asked Hollow'd.

"Yes." responded Sera.

"Portal Rift!"

A chasm appeared and spilt the arena. Sera barely dodged it, and saw that the arena was reforming.

"Sunball!" she cried out as she threw a fireball as hot as a star. Hollow'd grabbed it with his left arm and said "_Amplify."_

He threw back the fireball, now as big as a van. Sera allowed the fireball to hit her and said "Seraphim Armor!"

The fireball became absorbed by the fire coming from Sera. As Hollow'd looked on, the fire turned into armor.

Fiery and angelic, Sera floated above Hollow'd, and only said "Come at me."

Hollow'd responded with some heat-seeking missiles as big as he was. They were about to hit Sera… until she hit them back at Hollow'd.

10 missiles hit Hollow'd. He climbed out of the crater, covered in cuts, with an mysterious sword.

That isn't a sword, she realized. It was a new kind of weapon, coming from his right arm…

"This is a Willblade. It can change elements, shape, and sharpness depending on my will. Right now, the Willblade is extremely sharp, so be careful." said Hollow'd.

Then he disappeared for a moment, and attacked.

Sera managed the block the blow with her armor, but already she could see it was powerful. Her armor was extremely cracked, and the arena around her was decimated. She could feel the icy chill of a weapon she thought was a laser. Now she realized he was telling her the truth.

With an effort she kicked him away, and readied herself.

"Solaris: Converging Stars!"

Huge masses of plasma appeared, and followed Hollow'd around. He portaled around, but the stars got closer until…

The stars disappeared!

Where the star was, a moving portal shaped like a man was there. As she watched, the portals disappeared, revealing Hollow'd.

"That was Full-Portal Mode." said Hollow'd. "I am a living portal. Need I explain?"

"No." said Sera. "Let's keep on fighting."

"In that case, _Origin Spell: Glacier Rain_."

Clouds formed above both of them, and spikes of ice fell from the sky. Sera turned up the heat, but she was hit by a huge iceberg. She promptly melted the iceberg and wiped the blood from her mouth.

"Really?" said Sera.

"Yes. You redirected my missiles, after all." responded Hollow'd. "_Origin Spell: Ice Titan's Blizzard_."

A dense blizzard fell upon the arena. Sera felt her strength weakening as the blizzard covered her. Her fires kept on being extinguished. She was going to die… until a portal opened under her. She fell... onto the ground in front of Hollow'd.

"I win." said Hollow'd.

"Fine. Can you help me up?"

Hollow'd grabbed Sera's hand, and was promptly flipped onto the ground. She was standing now, looking down at Hollow'd.

"Now I win." said Sera.

A portal opened under Sera, and she fell straight into Hollow'd's arms. He hugged her.

"Nope. I won, without even going full power…"

"AGAIN?! WHEN WILL YOU EVER USE YOUR FULL POWER?!"

"When I need it. I love you." said Hollow'd. "Time to go back for healing."

* * *

"Ow!" cried out Sera.

"Treatment done. Now you should be able to regenerate yourself back to full health."

"What about you? You have plenty of cuts on you."

"I can heal. I have nanobots and magic, along with regeneration. In a few seconds I'll be patched up." he said. "I'll need treatment and you for my more serious injuries, though…"

"What serious injuries?"

"There's a hole where my heart was." explained Hollow'd.

Sera frantically got up. "LET ME SEE IT!" she said as she cried. "DON'T… die…"

"Didn't I say I would be fine when you burned a hole through my heart. It takes more than missing organs to kill me. It's the same with you."

"Just… lay down then. And take off your shirt so I see the hole."

Hollow'd took off his shirt and lay down on the bed near Sera.

Sera examined the hole. "I can fix this. Just allow me…" As she looked at it, she took her hand and placed it over the hole. "Fire of Healing."

A pure red fire flamed into existence. It touched the charred sides of the hole, and burned new flesh into existence. Soon, there was no hole.

"Thank you, Sera." said Hollow'd.

Sera wasn't done though. She suddenly hugged Hollow'd.

"Wha…t? Why?" asked Hollow'd.

"I love you. I'm wondering why you love me though." said Sera.

Hollow'd closed his eyes. "I love you because you're passionate, and put effort into the people and things you care about. You have a positive personality, and you're someone I can care for. You care about me. And you're beautiful, but that's a bonus." He opened his eyes again.

Sera hugged Hollow'd tighter, hoping that he would return her love. Her wish came true.

Hollow'd hugged Sera back, and gave her a kiss. She returned it. Both kisses seemed to last forever.

Finally, Hollow'd disengaged from Sera, gently holding her hands. "There are still some Project EX0 subjects out here. I know 4 that might join us. The other 9 are out there to eliminate us."

"Who are the other four?"

"Shard, Admina, Drive, and Arena."

"You mean The Piecestorm!? Equals False!? Final Frontier!? Area Mod!? Then where are they?"

Hollow'd kissed Sera. "I know where they are. We'll be seeing them."


	9. Chapter 8: Broken Rules

Chapter 8: Broken Rules

_Somewhere in the wilderness in a clearing… a precious vase shattered._

A man looked down at the broken pieces of the vase. He was tall with brown hair and multicolored eyes. He couldn't sell the preciously decorated vase if broken, so he stared at the vase parts.

The vase reformed. Not a crack was seen.

Then he took a step and started flipping away from the vase.

"Admina! Turn on the freaking gravity!"

A girl stepped out into the clearing. Her eyes were regular, and she was medium height with long black hair that ended with white. She closed her eyes, then reopened them as Shard face-planted into the ground.

"Fine then! Go ahead and walk the way through the forest, ya repairman!" she said.

"This repairman has a name. It's Shard. Seems like you forgot again." he retorted after he got up.

"Well then let's keep on going! We're only a few miles away from the next town, Incanua."

They walked together in silence, and soon reached the town.

"With all that walking, I think we'll need a good inn to relax." said Shard.

"Agreed." said Admina. She talked with a citizen of the town for a moment. "The townspeople say The Penny Pincher is the best inn around here."

"Let's go there then." he said.

Before they could take another step, a man with a robotic arm stopped in front of them. A woman with fire-colored eyes stopped along him.

"Well then," said Hollow'd. "You took your sweet time today."

* * *

Both Admina and Shard thought there was something familiar with the two. Now there was a sense of danger… and Shard made the first move.

"Release Limite-"

Before he could do so, he and Admina were whisked into a portal… onto an endless plain of stone.

Both landed on their feet. So did the two strangers.

"Give me your names before I shatter all your bones." threatened Shard.

"Careful what you threaten Shard. Admina, why don't you keep him in check?" said Hollow'd. "As for my name, its Hollow'd. Her name is Sera."

Admina contained a gasp. She didn't guess that he would know their names, so she thought these two were out to hunt them down.

"Ready, Shard?" asked Admina.

"Anytime." responded Shard.

Both said "Release Limiter!"

Immediately an explosion engulfed the plains. The dust rose, then suddenly cleared. Both Shard and Admina were surrounded with an intense aura.

Sera responded in kind. "Release Limiter!". Another cloud of dust appeared, and when it clear, she was covered in an intense aura as well.

"Seismic Shatter!" cried Shard as he smashed the ground. Splinters and chips of stone flew up, then surrounded Shard.

"Gravity Amplifier!" Admina cried out as she leapt towards Hollow'd. She descended down with a powerful punch that pulverized the stone beneath her.

The punch connected with Hollow'd right arm, and a power struggle began. Admina forced her fist down further with the power of gravity, making Hollow'd right arm lose ground. In a split second, Hollow'd disengaged his right arm and let the punch connect.

Hollow'd was propelled into the ground, smashing the ground hard enough to instantly make a huge crater.

"Hollow'd! You'll burn in hell for this, Admina!" said Sera as she cast Solaris: Converging Stars.

Admina couldn't respond fast enough, and each of the stars hit her. She was thrown back, covered in multiple burns.

"No!" roared Shard. "I'll shatter you, you demon!" He attacked in a whirlwind of shards.

Sera could barely survive in that storm of stone pieces. She was constantly being cut, pummeled, and stabbed. She gave ground until Shard punched her in the stomach.

Sera fell backwards into a huge stone, and the stone shards caught her. These shards reformed themselves to make strong restraints for Sera. She tried to move, and with a shock realized that every bone in her body was broken.

"Any last words?" asked Shard as more stone shards formed a wicked sword. "No? Well then this is for Admina!"

He thrust the blade forward straight for Sera's neck, and was met with flesh. Hollow'd's flesh.

Sera gasped as she saw the blade stab through Hollow'd heart.

"AGAIN?! STOP GETTING STABBED IN THE FREAKING HEART!" cried Sera. Tears started flowing from her eyes. "I DON'T WANT YOU TO…die…."

"Getting stabbed in the heart was my plan." responded Hollow'd.

"WHAT!?" cried Sera.

"Yes. Now be quiet."

Hollow'd forced the blade out of his heart, and said "Portal Blade".

A thin unbounded portal erupted from his right hand. With it he stepped forward and sliced off Shard's right arm.

With a bellow Shard took away the shards restraining Sera, and had them stab into Hollow'd. Hollow'd wasn't even fazed. In a split second his right hand connected with Shard's jaw.

Shard crumbled to the stone ground unconscious.

Immediately Hollow'd portaled over to Sera. "Are you okay?"

"No. Every bone in my body is broken. Can you see?" As she it, she started crying.

"What's wrong? We're both alive."

"I'm useless. USELESS! THAT MEANS YOU'LL HATE ME. HATE ME. Hate… me…"

Hollow'd sat by Sera. "Who said I couldn't heal broken bones? _Reform_."

After the words Sera felt her bones repair. She got up unsteadily.

"Thank… you. For… you know what." whispered Sera as she blushed.

"You aren't useless. You brighten my days, make me feel there's more to life. You are like sunshine. You care about me. I would still love you when you are a burden, because you are you." responded Hollow'd.

He then scooped up Sera in his arms.

"Put me down!" said Sera as she blushed even more.

"Well, you're trying hard not to say you like this. So why should I?"

Hollow'd gave her a kiss. "I love you. Time for healing."

She responded in kind. "What about Shard and Admina?"

"They're coming with us."

* * *

Admina woke up with the smell of salve on her skin. She still had some burns.

She got up unsteadily, and came face to face with Hollow'd.

Immediately she attempted to punch him, but Hollow'd intercepted the punch with his left hand.

"Careful, Admina! You need your rest." said Hollow'd.

"Why I am not dead yet? ANSWER ME!" shouted Admina.

"The first reason is that I treated your burns. Sera also helped out with that. Also, I actually need your help. Sorry about that first meeting."

Admina calmed down. "In that case, how is Shard?"

"I sliced off his right arm-"

"WHAT! I'LL… KILL YOU-"

"Hold it. I reattached it to his body. He's asleep now."

As if to confirm his words, Shard snored.

"Okay then. Can you at least explain who you are?"

Hollow'd breathed in. "I am Hollow'd, Number 01, The Living Portal. Sera is Number 07, Inferno Incarnate."

Admina looked up, then breathed in. "I am Admina, Number 29, Equals False. I can defy and create laws, and so as a result, I've mastered all magic and most technology. I can reprogram anything." A thought came to Admina's mind. She said "Hacking: Hollow'd's right arm."

After those words, Hollow'd right arm started aiming its weapons at its creator. Hollow'd only stared at Admina, and immediately regained control of his right arm.

"Nice try. You only could do that because I let you." commented Hollow'd. "What about Shard?"

"He's Number 17, Piecestorm. He can control pieces and parts, and so can break anything physical. He's much better with technology than I am."

"Got it." said Hollow'd. "You should take a look at Shard."

As she walked away, she saw Hollow'd take off his shirt and treat his wounds. She walked out of the tent she was in, remembering that she and Shard were once friends of Sera and Hollow'd.

Sera walked out of Shard's tent. "I've used some Fire of Healing on him." When Admina asked how she was, she responded "Healed up by Hollow'd." Then she walked to the other tent.

Admina sat on the bed by Shard. He was breathing evenly, and asleep. She knew that she loved him, but couldn't admit her feelings. Every time she tried, there would always be an awkward situation.

She felt the urge to kiss him, and gave him. She quickly kissed Shard's lips.

Immediately Shard woke up, and slowly got up. Admina blushed intensely.

"You… love me?" said Shard. Like Admina, he couldn't admit his feelings for her.

"It's… not like that! It's so not like that-" protested Admina before Shard kissed her on the lips. She couldn't deny that she loved him anymore.

"I… love you too." said Shard.

Both of them were crying as they kissed forever, both in each other's warm embrace.

Hollow'd and Sera peeked in. "Got it." said Hollow'd, no questions asked.

Both Admina and Shard looked at Hollow'd with a blush on both of their faces.

"I need your help to fight other Project EX0 subjects." said Hollow'd.

"Why?" said both of them. "We don't care if you die."

"Because the other subjects are dedicated to killing us and humanity in the process. There are two others who might join us. Team up?" asked Hollow'd.

Admina and Shard looked at each other before saying "Yes."

"Then it's decided. In a few days, we'll see Drive and Arena." said Sera. "Hopefully they don't try to kill us."


	10. Chapter 9: The Frontier Edited

Chapter 9: The Frontier Edited

Drive waited around on the top of a hill, looking over Incanua. Arena was sitting beside him, with her hand on Drive's. He didn't notice it till four people walked up to him.

"Hello, Drive and Arena. Lovely day, isn't it." said Hollow'd.

Drive noticed the touch of Arena's hand. He took it away as Arena blushed.

"So what's up Hollow'd? I see Sera, Shard, and Admina with you." said Drive.

"I need your help. There are a group of 9 former Project EX0 subjects out there to kill us."

"Sounds like fun. You want me to join your group?"

"Yes. They've already formed an alliance called Revelation. Faithus is leading them."

"The God himself?" interjected Arena. "That's real serious. I guess we'll join."

"After all," added Drive, "we were being hunted by some Night Stalkers. Professional elf hunters, armed with poisons and rare weapons."

"In that case," said Shard, "let's hunt the hunters."

* * *

The 6 set out into the wilderness, away from Incanua.

"Make sure you have your limiters on. I don't want to be hunted by the elfs for wiping out a whole forest." said Sera.

"True. After all, elfs do have… traps." said Admina.

Ahead of the six was a forest of traps. Some were simple bear traps. Others were cleverly concealed pits with no end. There were even eco-friendly landmines.

"Looks like these guys knew what they were doing. Also, I'm guessing that Revelation sent a whole group of Night Stalkers after you." said Hollow'd.

"What makes you say that?" asked Sera.

"Only a whole group of 24 Night Stalkers could make this many traps in just one area." He suddenly shot a laser at a tree, and the group saw a Night Stalker fall dead onto the ground.

Shard whistled. "Clever and masterful camouflage technology." said Shard. "It would work even when they were moving."

"In that case," asked Arena, "shall we clear them out?"

"Yes." said everyone at the same time.

"Me and Drive will clear them out." said Arena.

She walked a little closer to the trapped forest area.

"Area Mod: Iceland!" she cried out.

The area around her froze up, flashing freezing some Night Stalkers and all the trees. Both violently shattered after she used her power.

"16 Night Stalkers left to go. Drive?" she said.

Drive only said "Mastery: Speed!" Then he started running.

No one could see him. Only the dead bodies of the Night Stalkers showed where he was.

He reappeared in front of the group. "All done."

Then Arena was hit by something metal…

A robot stood up in the middle of the group.

"Stay back! I'll deal with it! Mastery: Strength." He kicked a huge ragged hole in the robot as easily as dropping a rock. The robot shot out gas pellets, then self-destructed.

Gas surrounded the group of 6. Hollow'd breathed in the gas and immediately portaled out the gas. Everyone else breathed in and faced Hollow'd.

"You… betrayed us. YOU BETRAYED ME!" cried out Sera. "You'll pay for this. I loved you, and you BETRAYED ME!"

"I knew you were a traitor. Working to get us together, so we could be killed in one move." bitterly said Shard.

"Breaking the rules to get us killed. That's what I would expect from you, you coward." taunted Admina.

"Using me to get the end. Not going to happen." said Drive.

"Changing the world for yourself. That's greed from you." murmured Arena.

Hollow'd already knew what would happen. He portaled everyone back into that endless stone plain, just as the other 5 released their limiters.

In mere seconds they pinned him down. Sera took out a lava sword.

"Last words, Hollow'd?" asked Sera.

"Yes. Release Limiter!"

Sera and the rest were propelled back, away from Hollow'd. There was no dust: only portals and destruction. Hollow'd stood up.

"I hoped I would never have to release my limiter with you guys. But those gas pellets forced my hand. The Poison of Traitors forced me." said Hollow'd. "Looks like I have to use full power. _Booting Up: Source Hollow'd. Updating Roster… Update complete. Initiate Action: incapacitate. Imputing Calculations: Adding Code: Consciousness."_

Hollow'd looked around. "I'm sorry about this-"

"SHUT UP!" said Shard. "Just stay still so we can kill you."

"Let's get burning." said Sera. "Solaris: Sun Meteor!"

"Gravity Amplifier! Physics Defier!" said Admina as she flew towards Hollow'd.

"Grand ShardStorm!" cried out Shard as huge stones started flying around him.

"Mastery: Strength!" said Drive as he charged towards Hollow'd.

"Cataclysm: Infinite Bombs." shouted Arena as nukes appeared around her.

They all charged at Hollow'd, all hitting his right arm.

Hollow'd stood his ground with the other 5, slowly losing ground until… all the attacks connected.

The force of the attack launched him into the ground, creating a huge chasm. Surprisingly, he got back up, still alive. There were cuts and burns everywhere, and blood was coming from his mouth.

"Activate: Shock Armor."

His right arm started adding plating to his body, till it covered him in a red armor with purple outlines. In an instant he jumped out of the chasm.

The group all gasped. They could not understand why he was still living. Arena already used his weakness against him. Why did his live?

"Resolve. Resolve to save my friends and my love. That's why I still live." said Hollow'd. He was gone again.

Drive flew up from the force of Hollow'd's uppercut. When he hit the ground, he was unconscious.

Arena said "Area Mod: Speed Jail!" and caught Hollow'd. The jail broke open though, and Hollow'd knocked her out with a quick punch to the head.

Admina attacked with Gravity Amplifier again, but was overwhelmed, and fell to the ground. Hollow'd shot tranquilizer darts into her arms, and made sure she was unconscious.

Shard bellowed "Stay there, so I can crack open your skull!" He dashed toward Hollow'd.

Hollow'd took out his Portal Sword, and cut off Shard's arms and legs. Shard fell, and Hollow'd kicked him in the face. He was unconscious.

Sera was the only once facing Hollow'd. She stared in shock as Hollow'd turned off his Shock Armor and his Source Mode.

"Go on." said Hollow'd.

Sera charged, with her lava sword turning into a plasma sword. She HATED him, HATED him…

…until he grabbed her hand and impaled himself on her sword.

Why would he do that, she thought.

"Wha… What? WHAT?! NOOOO! NO NO NO NO!" cried Sera. She snapped out of the effects of the poison. She was crying as she said "Don't die…"

"_Orgin Spell: Healing God's Blessing._" he murmured. Then he walked around and healed everyone else.

With his touch, cuts closed and healed. Missing body parts regenerated, and soon everyone had their energy back. They got up, then saw what they had done.

"What! What have we done…" cried Admina. "Why?"

"We were the ones that betrayed him…" said Shard.

Drive and Arena could only cry and turned away.

Then Hollow'd collapsed, and everyone was sent back to the forest…

* * *

"How's his condition?" asked Sera.

"Critical. He's horribly injured, with the bombs and fire we used." responded Arena.

"I think I could help. Regular Fire of Healing wouldn't work here. I'll use Fire of Love."

She touched the place where his heart was. Where her own plasma sword burned through his heart. "Fire of Love." she said.

A golden fire appeared and touched the seared sides of his heart wound. The fire spread to his whole body, and eventually died down.

"Condition stable. He should wake up in a moment…" said Arena. She left the tent.

"Sera!" cried out Hollow'd as he suddenly got up. He was crying. "I'm… so… sorry."

Sera got onto the bed he was on and hugged him. She was crying as well.

"It's okay." she whispered. "As long as you're alive. As long as we're together."

"I didn't have to." he said. "I didn't have to release my limiter or defeat you."

"But you did. For the group. For… me." said Sera.

Hollow'd kissed Sera. The kiss lasted eternally.

* * *

Shard sat down with Admina.

"We didn't have to do that much damage to him." murmured Shard.

"I know. I remember. I know what he had to do to stop us." whispers Admina.

Shard shuddered at what Hollow'd had to do. Limb detachment, tranquilizer darts, strong punches, etc. He was glad he didn't have to do it.

"We're together, Admina. So-"

He was cut off as Admina gave him a kiss on the lips. He went along, and spent forever in her arms.

* * *

Drive was lying with Arena. Arena was blushing.

"That damage we did… I'm glad we didn't have to go through that."

"Agreed. That's some serious injuries. I'm still surprised he's alive to tell the story."

"Yes… Drive?"

"What?"

"I have something to tell you…" she said.

"What is it?"

"I love you." The words just spilled out of her mouth.

Drive blushed. He held Arena's hands.

"I loved you too. But a long time ago I stopped because I thought you didn't love me, only liked me. So… thank you." he said. "Time for our first kiss."

They kissed with all their might, and slept in the warmth of the other.

"Hello?" asked Hollow'd.

Drive and Arena looked at him with blushes on their faces.

"I'm all healed up, ready to go. I've got the first target. First though, we need to meet."


	11. Chapter 10: Name of Weakness

Chapter 10: Name of Weakness

"In the case that some of us become controlled by the enemy, we need to know our powers and our weaknesses. I've already put a silence spell around our area, so that only us 6 can hear this conversation." said Hollow'd. "I'll start. I am Number 01, The Living Portal, with control of portals. Explosions are my weakness."

"Number 07, Inferno Incarnate. I control everything related with heat. I cannot stand the cold." said Sera.

"Number 17, Piecestorm. I control all pieces and parts. My weakness is willpower, from within or externally." said Shard. "Admina is Number 29, Equals False. She specializes in anything that involves rules, including warping them and defying them. She has the same weakness as me."

Drive said "I'm Number 52, Final Frontier. I can master any one thing. My weakness is the opposite of what I master."

Arena shyly said "I'm Number 33, Area Mod. I can change the area around me into anything. Consciousness is my weakness: I have to be aware with my surroundings."

Hollow'd looked around. "We'll need to start training to minimize these weaknesses. Let's start... tomorrow."

* * *

"My turn." said Shard. "Shards of Air!"

The air around him swirled faster and faster, creating a small tornado. The tornado then solidified, turning into visible rocks.

"Air Cannon!"

The rocks charged towards Hollow'd, then stopped in mid-air. Shard sweated slightly as he felt Hollow'd will fight against him. Slowly but surely, the air stones floated towards Hollow'd until... Hollow'd stopped using his will.

Shard smiled as the rockets flew towards Hollow'd, and then look in shock as Hollow'd arced the stones back to him using his will.

"Smack! Smack! Sma-Smack!" went the rocks.

"Now that was sneaky, Hollow'd." said Shard. "Your turn. Atom Spilt!"

Nearby Hollow'd, a small ball of fire appeared, and grew faster and faster until it was an atomic explosion.

"Origin Spell: Kamikaze"

A golden wind blew. As Hollow'd focused, it blew at the explosion site, blocking the explosion force and forcing the radioactive ashes away.

Sera walked out, with a radiation shield on her. "Really?"

"Sorry, Sera!" he shouted." I had to get rid of a freaking atomic explosion-"

Sera punched Hollow'd into the wall of the arena, breaking it into pieces. As he was getting up, the wall reformed with him in it.

"Hello? Sera… can you help me. My arms are pinned so I can't get out without releasing my limiter…" asked Hollow'd. Sera sweated as she smashed the wall and pulled him out.

"Thanks, Sera." he said as he hugged her. Sera blushed and returned the hug, then kissed him. Hollow'd blushed in return.

"My turn!" said both Admina and Arena.

"Shard, you test Admina. Drive, go ahead and see if Arena covered up her weakness." said Hollow'd.

* * *

"Ready?" asked Shard.

"Anytime, repairman." said Admina.

Shard said "Air Shards Amplifier!" as Admina said "Limit Body Punch!". Both attacks hit each other.

"I… told you… not to call me repairman." said Shard. Admina didn't listen. She was too busy focusing her will to fight his. The tension increased within the area. Despite the fact that the area felt pressurized, Admina and Shard still continued the fight of wills. Both grunted under the strain they were going under, until… their fists slipped by each other and hit each other in the face.

Both sprawled out onto the ground. They both crawled towards each other.

"I… won that one." said Admina.

Shard grabbed her and rolled her on top of him. "My victory." said Shard.

"How about a tie?" said Admina.

Shard considered it for a moment, then said "Okay." Then he kissed Admina.

Admina intensely blushed as she returned it. Shard blushed in turn.

"I'd say it's hard to get our weakness now." commented Shard.

Admina only nodded as she hugged Shard.

* * *

Drive walked by Arena. She didn't see him until he poked her.

Arena blushed. "Again?"

"I'm sorry to tell you, but you got to focus." said Drive. He started running around Arena till he charged into a wall.

The wall crumbled as Drive tripped and fell onto Arena.

Both of them blushed as they started hugging each other.

"I'd say we're done." said Drive. Then he kissed with Arena. Arena returned it.

"Drive? Arena?" said Hollow'd as he walked up the hill. "We're done. I've got some news you need to hear."

Drive and Arena blushed more intensely as they walked down the hill, hand in hand.


	12. Chapter 11: The Original Secret

Chapter 11: The Original Secret

"Alright guys. I've got good news and bad news. The good news is that 3 members of Revelation are dead. They kept on failing to kill us with their men, so Faithus got rid of them for us. The bad news is that the remaining 6 members have all released their limiters." said Hollow'd. "That'll make it harder to get rid of them."

"Just asking, what are their powers?" asked Admina. "You never explained who they are."

"I'll tell you. The first person is Anatas, The Devil 2.0. Her boyfriend is Walker, The Traveler. Along with them is Trap, The Bound, along with his girlfriend Renda, The Distortion Queen. Then there's Switch, The Shifter, and Faithus, The God King." answered Hollow'd. "All of their powers are pretty self-explanatory."

"Got it." said Arena. "What are their weaknesses then?"

"Anatas hates acts of good, so basically fight her with justice in mind will affect her. Anything that slows things down or acts as a barrier will stop Walker." responded Hollow'd. "Trap's weakness is about willpower and resolve, while Renda… has a weakness to physical, or straight-forward attacks. I think physical attacks imbued with magic will work."

"I think I can remember about Switch. She needs time to shift around, so reaction time is her weakness. If I remember correctly, Faithus's weakness is the hope of failing. His power depends on faith, so no faith in his powers should do the trick." said Sera. "At least… I hope."

"Sounds like irony there." muttered Drive.

"Well, at least we have our work cut out for us." said Hollow'd.

* * *

"Causing nuclear explosions? Really Sera?" asked Hollow'd.

"Yes." said Sera. She blushed slightly and moved uncomfortably. "Hollow'd, I want to talk you something… something like a secret."

"We all have secrets. Why are you telling me it?"

"Because you are the one I trust most, the one I think will listen." said Sera. She edged closer till she was touching Hollow'd. "Hollow'd… I have Blaze Rods. They were the reason why I was bullied in the past. I couldn't… be sure you would love me after I showed them." Rods appeared from nowhere and floated around Sera.

Hollow'd hugged Sera. "Those rods were another reason I like you. Personally, I thought they were cute." he said. "My secret though… is much darker than that. Please… don't hate me after I tell you."

Sera wrapped her arms around him. "It's okay. Tell me."

"Do you remember Number 00?" asked Hollow'd.

"Yes. Wasn't he the first experiment, the god before he sealed himself away? I hated him, because he's the reason for all my suffering!" bitterly said Sera.

"I never told you my other name. It's Death." said Hollow'd.

Sera felt like her blood was turning into ice. "Don't tell me-"

"I am also Death, Number 00, The End."

Sera hurriedly scooted away from Hollow'd and looked at him. She looked at him with absolute horror. "YOU! THE ONE PERSON THAT I HATE… IS THE ONE PERSON I LOVE!?" She started crying in horror.

Hollow'd scooted towards her and hugged her. Sera tried to shake him off.

'YOU MONSTER! LET GO OFF ME, YOU-"

He said nothing as painfire descended from the air.

Sera felt nothing, as Hollow'd absorbed all of the fire. He got back up, and cried out "ANATAS! Get down here, you coward!"

Sera took the opportunity to stab him with lava swords. She just hated him.

Above her, Anatas said "Come and join me Sera! Let's kill him together."

Hollow'd closed his eyes, and pinned Sera's arms. "For you." said Hollow'd. He allowed himself to be stabbed by her plasma sword. Then he let go of her arms, and sadly portaled away. Anatas followed him, with a sword of hellfire in her hands.

Sera peeked inside. She gasped in horror.

Hollow'd was fighting all 6 members of Revelation at once. He hadn't released his limiter, so the members were pummeling him. Anatas was driving painblades into his back while Walker was punching his face at the speed of light. Bound was busy chaining him repeatedly to a solid piece of stone while Renda distorted space so Hollow'd couldn't counterattack. Switch was constantly moving, cutting Hollow'd brutally. Faithus just stood back.

Sera launched herself towards Hollow'd, and was immediately in a chokehold by Faithus.

"NO!" cried out Hollow'd. "LET… HER GO!"

"From your voice, it seems I should kill her." said Faithus. Sera was rapidly losing consciousness.

"I'll make a deal with you. One of you goes out and fights with one of my group. If one of my group wins, she lives. If you win, she lives. I'm still going to be jailed by you." cried out Hollow'd.

Faithus considered for a moment. "No. I'll just kill her…"

"NO!" cried out Hollow'd. A seal on him broke, and everyone was thrown back. Faithus got back up and looked at him.

"So you-"

He was cut off as Death shattered his jaw. He was violently thrown back into Renda.

Anatas got back up. "Burn in hell!" she said. "Release all limiters!"

A violent explosion rocked the area. When the dust settled, the 5 other members were gone. Anatas was standing.

Her yellow eyes, along with her obsidian black hair, tan, and height, made her look exactly like a demon. Her attire accentuated that. She was wearing a full lava-colored bodysuit, with pieces of technology attached to it. Another painblade appeared from her hand.

"A taste of hell, for you." said Anatas. She thrust the blade straight into Death's head. The blade shattered as Death roughly grabbed her by the neck.

"For Sera. For my friends. For your end." said Death. He threw her in front of him as he shot off 3 shimmering silver pellets.

All three pellets hit her at the same time, and a silent explosion appeared, growing bigger and more intense… until it suddenly disappeared.

Anatas was on her knees, her suit in tatters. Only one laser remained on her suit, and even that blew up. Multiple third-degree burns were on her, and blood flowed freely from her mouth. But that wasn't the scariest part. She was missing a left arm.

"Curse you! DAMN YOU! ROT IN BLOODY HELL, YOU DAMN B******!" said Anatas. "YOU MADE A DEAL!" she said as she held where her left arm was.

"And you never accepted it." said Death. "And yes, I'm also Hollow'd. Just with more powers and true godly power. Now then, _Origin Spell: Forced Teleport_."

"NOOO-" said Anatas as she disappeared.

"Seal: Orginal Source Infinite Seal." he said. The intense power that came from him disappeared. He crumbled, almost lifeless.

Sera stood in shock. The person she most hated fought for her, and released full power for her. She never had that much importance.

She pushed aside these thoughts. He needed her help. His wounds haven't healed yet. As she ripped up his shirt, she noticed that all of the injuries he had were healed up. Even the plasma blade that went through his heart left no mark.

Sera became conscious of Hollow'd's voice. Or was that _Death's _voice…?

"Too… tired."

Sera decided that she would take him back home the nice way. She carried him using her blaze rods. Then they both flew through the portal.

* * *

"I trust you enough to tell you this." said Shard.

"What is it?" asked Admina.

"I have a weapon, and its living. It's part of me, it's definitely machinelike… and it's… able to make me create shards."

"Well that's good for you." said Admina. "My secret is a little bit more… should I say embarrassing?"

"What?"

Admina took off her shirt. She blushed and turned around, and undid her bra. She was topless. But that wasn't what Shard was looking at.

An intricate magic sigil was tattooed onto her black. As Shard watched, it changed colors constantly from silver to purple to jet black.

"What is it?" asked Shard.

Admina maneuvered so that she was facing forward, in Shard's arms. Her body snuggled with his. Shard blushed.

"It's sealed magic that'll allow me to defy every law constantly. That is, until I make one up." said Admina. "You have anything to say?"

"Put on your shirt! It's embarrassing-"

Admina just kissed Shard. He shut up. Then she put on her shirt.

* * *

"Drive? Can I show you something?" asked Arena.

"What is it?" said Drive.

"My secret." said Arena. She blinked, and her eyes changed color. An aura surrounded her.

"An element field?" he guessed.

"Yes. I was born with it. I don't use it often, as it often ends up killing the people I'm friendly with."

"Do you mind?" gently asked Drive.

"Okay. But what is it?"

Drive took off his shirt and turned around. Arena blushed, then noticed something about his skin. It was bound with technology…

"This is an OverDrive. It's not a pun to my name, but it overrides my limits. Which means I can be stronger than strongest, and so on."

Arena touched his back. Drive blushed, then noticed that Arena was hugging him. He blushed.

"I think we're done with secrets. Now… put on your shirt."

As Drive was getting his shirt on he heard Sera calling for help. Both looked at each other, then ran straight to Sera.

* * *

"Guys! Its Hollow'd!" said Sera.

Hollow'd was lying on the ground, almost lifeless. With an effort, he got up and leaned on Sera.

"What happened to him? Hell? The end of a world?" asked Admina.

"No." said Hollow'd. "I faced off with all of Revelation. They jailed me for millennia…"

"It was only half a minute, Hollow'd." reassured Sera.

"Faithus. He… distorted time in there. Tortured me, chained me, and practically trying to make you guys go and find me." he said. "Then Sera tried to save me. She got hurt… nearly killed by Faithus… I had to…" His voice broke.

"What?" asked Drive.

"I just found out. He's Number 00, The End. Death." explained Sera.

"You've got to be kidding me." said Shard.

"No, I'm not. Why else would he have bad memories about it? He doesn't release his limiters unless necessary. And even then he hates doing it." said Sera.

"I had to… release my final seal… become Death. Death is me. Death is in front of you… only with his power limited and sealed away…"

Arena looked in disbelief. So did the others. They all were conflicted on whether to kill him on the spot or keep him as their leader.

"Hollow'd?" said Sera.

"What?" asked Hollow'd.

Sera turned to face Hollow'd and hugged him. He blushed as Sera blushed intensely. Then she gave him a kiss.

"I still love you. Sorry… about… what I did." said Sera as she cried.

Hollow'd returned the kiss while crying. "It's fine. Thank you… for being my hope. For being my love. For being there for me when I needed you the most..."

Drive broke the silence. "We forgive you."

Hollow'd gently disengaged from Sera, and walked towards them. He held out his right hand. "Friends?"

Everyone else held out their hand. "Friends." they all said.

Sera hugged Hollow'd. "Love."

Hollow'd kissed Sera. "Love."


	13. Chapter 12: Army No -666

Chapter 12: Army No. -666

_On the horizon, an army approached…_

_Millions strong, millions behind them, and only children left to tell the tale._

_They march at the same time, with the same advanced weapons, with the same heritage, with the same species of demon. _

_They torture their victims with weapons of hellfire and many, many kinds of painweapons…_

_Nothing is built with them around. Only destruction surrounds them…_

_And leading them is Anatas, in full bodysuit armor._

_"A welcome from hell." she said._

* * *

Hollow'd switched his eye from Eye of Future to his regular, techno-magically enhanced left eye.

"I saw a army, upon the horizon. They'll raze Incanua…"

Sera looked up at Hollow'd. She was lying on him. "Don't take risks. Heck… don't get hurt."

"You know that's impossible until Revelation is gone forever." said Hollow'd. He gently stroked Sera's hair as Sera blushed.

Sera pinned him down and took off his shirt. He blushed as Sera took off her shirt. She pressed her body against his.

"Sera, what-"

"Your heart. I want to feel your heartbeat. I want to feel your warmth. I want… your love."

Hollow'd wrapped his arms around Sera, and let skin touch skin. Her heartbeat was strong, and so was his. Both beat at the same pace and time.

"Sera? We got to get going. Hello? Nevermind."

They felt each other's warmth until Admina came in.

"Wha-? Didn't see that." said Admina as she turned around.

Hollow'd and Sera both blushed and put on their shirts. Sera gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Let's get Incanua's defense's ready." said Hollow'd.

* * *

"Welcome to my workshop. There's a bunch of projects here you might want to see." said Hollow'd. "We need you the most, Shard and Arena, to building these defenses fast and to place 'em. First things first though, we need to make a defense for Arena to copy."

He walked over to a stone pedestal with a sigil floating in the air. "Lightning Storm Sigil Guard. A robot combined with magic. That's what I expect our defenses to be like: a combo of magic and technology. As for our partners, that'll be our boyfriends and girlfriends."

Everyone blushed as they rushed off to build defenses.

* * *

"Admina, I'm having an issue with the magic amplifiers. See if you can fix it." said Shard.

"I'm having a problem with the mecha structure. See if you can stabilize it."

_Tink. BANG!. ZIIIIP! SHHHHHHHH…_

"Done" both said at the same time. Both blushed.

"What 'ya make, Admina?"

"A pilotable mecha, using gravity magic and serious metal weapons. I'll call it Grav I. You?"

"Small drones designed to shoot ice spells. And when I mean small, I mean drone size."

Admina paused for a moment. "Can't we combine the two? It'd make a great surprise…"

Shard kissed Admina. "Let's do it."

A few minutes later, the new mecha was finished, with pods on the back covered with magic sigils. Inside were the drones, now able to cast a variety of spells. The robot itself could also defy physics to an extent, and was much, much faster.

"I'd say we're done." said Shard.

Admina kissed Shard. "Great job."

* * *

"Finished! A robot that can take control of a demon!" said Drive.

"Mind I add something to it?" asked Arena.

"Sure!" Arena added a probe-shaped object to the base of it.

"It's a device that'll allow it to change the surroundings around it. Telepathy."

"Finished! Wonder what Hollow'd and Sera are working on."

* * *

"Robot's done!" Hollow'd said. "What about your fire-based soldiers?"

"Done." said Sera. "I've got a whole army, like you do."

"In that case, let's put down the defenses.

"Finished." said Arena. "All the defenses are in place."

"Good." said Drive. "Anatas's army is on time."

"Then get ready!" said Shard. "She won't wait all day to attack."


	14. Chapter 13: Burning Demons

Chapter 13: Burning Demons

_Marching to another city… and I have to watch my failure. Failure to defend. Failure to be the hero. Failure to even get out of my bonds._

_My left arm burns. It is my curse. It is the reason I am here. Weakness._

_These sigils and marking will never get off. I can never get rid of my left arm._

_The enchantress who put these sigils said they were powerful, that they would allow me to get stronger. It has only caused misery._

_In chains, walking in a line with other survivors of past cities sacked. They are demoralized. They cannot help. _

_And I cannot help my love. A beautiful elf. She is the only one that can ease my pain. She's the reason I'm sane. And I cannot help my team. I am useless. How can I love? Useless…_

* * *

Swords clashed as the defenses effectively took out the demons.

"Want to clear out that squadron?" asked Sera.

"No. I see a convict line. If we free them, we'll have more men to fight with. They should join us. Demons are considered some of the best torturers." said Hollow'd. "Hold the line guys!"

Everyone else cheered, then set out to clear out the demons.

"I hope it's worth it." muttered Hollow'd.

* * *

_Marching into the battlefield…_

_No hope…_

_We are going to die… or so I thought._

_A mysterious man fell from the sky. An archangel from heaven?_

_No. No godly aura._

_Wait… sigils on his left arm. He has the same curse as I do? And a robotic right arm. His eyes!? He has four curses on him! How is he still alive or even sane for that matter?_

_The man looked at the convict line, then jumped up into the air._

_"Hold up your chains! Now!" said the man as he took out a mysterious sword. He slashed the air._

_And I was free… free with my teammates._

_He dropped down. "Sera! Take care of the guards!" He gave the convicts weapons._

_I reached him and asked "Who are you?"_

_He only responded "The man leading the defense here. Come along with your friends. We'll patch up you guys and give you weapons. The name is Hollow'd."_

_A flying demon divebombed at him, its dagger posed to stab him in the heart._

_I cried out… and watched the demon stab him._

_He didn't die. All he did was throw the demon into the sky, fast enough to turn him into ashes._

_"Come along. We don't have all day."_

* * *

"A group of 6 adventurers, eh? Get some rest and training in. You'll need it to clear out these demons." said Hollow'd.

"I'm forever in your-" began the leader.

"Don't bother. Consider it a favor, Sigim. I decided to do it. You can choose to work with us." said Hollow'd. "We know who are attacking us. We know the group whom planned this. We even know the enemies they've brought up. First things first though… you guys better heal up. We only have 3 rooms for 2… the rest are being used for the injured. Demons have particularly nasty poison so…" His face paled. "Sigim! Asha… she's poisoned…"

Sigim didn't need to listen to him. As Asha's knee's buckled, Sigim caught her. With Hollow'd help, he got her to a clean bed.

"Sigim! Hold her hand! It'll help her stay alive!" Hollow'd ordered. From a portal, ground up herbs came out. He quickly mixed them together, added pure water, and portaled in fresh bandages. "Hang on, Asha!" he said. He quickly made a cut on her upper right arm, where a vein was. He poured down the mixture into her mouth as he took some of her blood. Then he bandaged up her arm. He then quickly tested it, and said a healing spell.

Immediately Asha began breathing easier.

* * *

_Where am I?_

_She was facing another elf, much like herself. Instead of green hair though, it was purple. With a shock, she realized that she was facing a dark version of herself._

_"You're the prey here, Asha."_

_Asha rolled to the left as an arrow whizzed past her. She stopped suddenly as arrow landed at her feet._

_Where was her bow?_

_She didn't complete that thought as a barrage of arrows arced towards her. She managed to dodge them all. In an instant she caught an arrow. It burned._

_She yelped as she watched a bow and a quiver full of arrows descending from the air. _

_And along with them Sigim._

_Sigim threw the bow and arrows to Asha as he summoned his magic armaments._

_"You'll have to defeat your Poison version of you!" said Sigim as he deflected arrow after arrow._

_With shaky hands, she aimed her arrow at her poison version. One miss and the arrow would go into his back. She breathed out, and let the arrow loose._

_Almost flashing, the arrow burrowed into her poison version's heart._

_She fell, and the area around her suddenly became light…_

* * *

"Good Gaea-!" cried out Asha as she quickly got up.

"Hold it!" said a mysterious man. Besides him, holding her hand was Sigim.

Sigim blushed. "This person here is Hollow'd. He knows about our enemy. Just… thank him. He saved your life." His blue eyes showed thanks.

Hollow'd turned around. "You helped. After all, you did help her fight against her poison version. I'll leave so you can get in some quality alone-time." He stood up and walked out the door, making sure the door was closed.

Asha breathed in. "Sigim?" she said as she blushed.

"What-"

He never got to finish the sentence. Asha was busy hugging him and giving him a kiss.

"Do you love me?"

Sigim gave her a one-armed hug and looked into her wood-brown eyes. "You make a great archer, and a great girlfriend. So… yes."

Asha brushed his brown hair. She was happy, for once in a month.

* * *

"Ack! I so need to stretch up!" shouted Sage.

"At least the demons took good care of my sword." muttered Armis. "Nevermind, I lied. One huge nick, coming up."

"Your face is a huge nick!"

"Why thank you. Just fix my sword, please."

Sage hesitated. It was the first time she heard him say "please". Personally, she started realizing how much she-

No! She whisked these thoughts away. He was annoying, and immature. She hated all 5'8" of him topped with red hair. Even his red eyes were unbearable.

"Done. Don't use the sword for… a few hours."

"WHAT!? Guess I'll do nothing." He flopped down onto the bed, then rapidly got up. He stood up too hastily, and slipped onto the floor with a resounding "CRACK!".

"OW!" cried out Armis. "Shoot, I think my wrist is broken…" He got up.

Immediately, Sage was by him. "Lie down. Now." she commanded. He lied down on the bed.

"This will hurt. Obviously." said Sage as she turned Armis's wrist. Armis clenched his teeth.

"It's broken. I'll have to use some magic on it."

"No, wait. Stop… I can't see anything!"

He blindly groped around. At this point, Sage knew she could not help.

Sera walked in. "How- Oh shoot! Hold him down!" she cried out.

Sage grasped him and held him down as best as she could. She couldn't stop the tears from flowing down her cheeks.

Sera muttered "Fire of Healing." A pure red fire spread across his body. Seconds later, the fire died down.

"Horrible stuff, that poison is. Armis, wake up!" she said as she vigorously shook him.

He was up in an instant. "Man… that was close. Who healed me?"

"Sera did." said Sage.

"Hold it. If you weren't there, he wouldn't be alive now. I'll leave you guys alone to rest." responded Sera. She walked out of the hallway back to the outdoors. There was still fighting.

Sage was still crying.

"Why… are you crying? Is it because… oh wait. Man, am I thick!" said Armis. "You love me, don't you?"

Sage could only blush as she nodded. She sat by Armis, and started stroking his hair.

Armis blushed. "Yes, I combed my hair-"

Sage kissed Armis fully on the mouth. She started straddling him, staying on top of him.

Armis responded in kind, an intense blush on his face.

Despite all the time she hated him, in a sense, he really couldn't bring himself to hate her. She was tall, with purple hair that matched her eyes. They worked together well, even during their worst disputes. Plus, she was cute.

They separated for a moment. "Shall we get training?" he asked.

"Of course, you numbskull." she said playfully. "Your sword is finished up."

* * *

A squad of demons was already dead.

Sitting on a nearby hill, two people were looking at the wreckage.

"Queen, are you okay?"

"Maybe. I can move my parts alright. How's your armor, Fence?"

"Barely functional. I'm losing power."

"Well then, don't you need backup?" asked a male voice.

Both turned around to face Shard and Admina.

"Heya. We got this." said Admina. "Gravity Cannon!"

Both Queen and Fence felt the air nearby sucked away as an airwave descended upon another demon squadron. It was almost comic to see the demons crushed flat or sent flying.

Shard sent out some drones. "We have a few hours. Rest up. Drive and Arena will be setting up defenses here." Both of them left.

Queen nervously grasped Fence's hand. He didn't mind. On the contrary he turned around and kissed her hand.

"I love my job, my life now… and you, my lady."

Queen was used to such formality, but she never would have expected it from Fence.

"Rise up!" she said. As he got up, she kissed him.

Fence blushed and hugged Queen closely. For the first time he saw Queen blush. She had a great poker face, with her pure white hair, blue eyes, and medium height.

From Queen's point of view, his height was an issue. He was taller, with kind blue-gray eyes and caramel colored hair.

Fence was taken by surprise as Queen literally flew into him. She was on him in an instant, and Fence took the time to give her a good kiss.

"Let get back to HQ. We need a war plan."


	15. Chapter 14: Operation Reverse Faust

Chapter 14: Operation Reverse Faust

"We know the leader of this. We are more powerful than Anatas. But there's one thing…" said Hollow'd.

"It's easy, logically." said Queen. "Just release your limiters-"

"And kill millions of people in the process." interrupted Admina. "There's a reason we have them on."

"It's to make sure we don't end the world accidentally." put in Drive. "Anatas will release all of her limiters, since she'll be trying to end this town in one strike. My point is we're at a disadvantage."

"Here's the plan. One of us- that's me- will have to get her into the alternate universe. I have one we can use." said Hollow'd.

"Then we'll go and all put down her. Sound simple?" said Sera.

"Good enough." said Asha. "What about the rest of our group?"

"We'll be making sure she doesn't get any help. Besides, you'll need the fight. We all have skills we can teach to you on healing." said Arena.

"Let's get started then." said Sigim.

"Good enough plan, right Armis?" said Sage.

"Let's go! Not much time till the end of the world!"

* * *

Anatas searched around with her hi-tech googles. She sighted Hollow'd… and was portaled into another dimension.

She gasped… and smiled as Hollow'd was knocked back by Walker's light-speed punch.

"We're both at full power. Go on, release your seal."

"Release all limiters."

"Fine. Release all limiters." said Hollow'd.

He caused portals, but no destruction.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. We have an energy absorber, so your attacks will not work." she said as she shot lasers into Hollow'd.

Hollow'd was then kicked into the air, where Walker performed various light-speed attacks. Hollow'd managed to escape, and gasped for air.  
"You… used the Death Touch." he gasped. So far his plan wasn't working. So he closed his eyes.

And reversed the effects of the Death Touch with two fingers.

Walker was surprised. His attack just then would have killed their subjects by now. Reversing the Death Touch was harder than using it. His grudging respect grew for him.

"Portal Rift."

Both leaped away as the energy absorber was destroyed.

Anatas grew worried. She knew that she never had a chance of beating him. Even with Walker the chances were risky at best. She had one choice…

"Release seal." both said.

Hollow'd blocked the force of the energy released and saw their full power.

Anatas was in a more high-tech bodysuit, with the same color. However, wings floated just behind her. Hollow'd knew these wings would contain much more dangerous technology.

He saw Walker for a small moment. He had brown hair, and with his red eyes, he punched Hollow'd at warp speed in a bodysuit. Hollow'd already knew it was laced with technology. He was already tazered by his fist.

He didn't get a chance to counterattack. Punch by punch, at warp speed, Hollow'd was being beaten around like a ragdoll. The warp speed caused explosions wherever he landed.

"Release seal."

The area around him was merely ripped apart.

Walker's face met with Death's fist.

Walker stumbled back, straight into well-placed explosives.

He flew up… and as he fell he saw silver pellets falling, arcing directly at him.

He kicked the air, moving yards away… into a pellet.

Anatas stared in horror as Walker was engulfed in millions of those intense explosions.

Seconds later, he was thrown out into Death's hand. He was bleeding everywhere, with his left leg and right arm missing. Blood freely cascaded from his mouth.

Death said "Rift Away." and kicked him into a portal… back to Faithus.

He stepped to the portal and said "Don't come back, ya jaywalker!"

Seconds later he dodged micro-missiles and grabbed a laser. He yanked on it and flipped Anatas into the ground. As he did so he closed the portal.

Anatas levitated up, with all her weapons bristling. "Living Hell: Satan's Fantasias."

The weapons on her suit all aimed at Death and fired. Mini-stars were shot out, along with antimatter canisters, lasers, lightning, and other assorted weaponry. Anatas smiled. Every man-made weapon was shot at Death for absolute damnation.

Death stood there though, smoking. His shirt was gone, and multiple holes were on his chest. Blood freely flowed from him.

"Nice try, Anatas. You know the drill."

Anatas was lifted up by Death, who suddenly appeared in front of him. With one hand, Death did a chokehold on Anatas, and said "_Origin Spell: The Sorrow of Victims._"

Anatas immediately felt pain literally everywhere on her body as the pain of her victims flooded her. She thought it was a great idea to mass torture a whole city for days. She paid the price.

Death let go, and let Anatas try to get up. Anatas was gaunt, with blood pouring from her mouth. She could only slowly crawl away.

He aimed his right arm at her, and shot a needle into her.

Anatas collapsed again, completely in pain.

"That was a pain virus. You'll need Faithus to heal that for you." He grabbed her by her neck, and threw her into a portal. He closed it, and cut an incoming bomb in half. The bomb failed to detonate.

"Seal: Orginal Source Infinite Seal."

Then he opened a portal back to Incanua, and walked through.

* * *

Incanua was still there. In front of him was everyone, still alive.

Good, he thought. I can rest for now.

Then he collapsed.

"No!" cried out Sera. She hurriedly knelt down by him and tilted his head up towards her.

"Too… tired."

Sera gave a sigh of relief. "More difficult than you expected."

Hollow'd suddenly got up. "Yes. Walker was with Anatas, so I have some nasty warp-speed bruises. I still have holes in me."

"That's fine. At least you're still alive- WHAT!? NOT YOUR HEART AGAIN! Fire of Love!"

The golden fire burned Hollow'd's flesh back into existence.

"They both released their final seals. As such, I believe most of us have sealed up powers." said Hollow'd. "And yes, I had to become Death. Two on one is not a fun experience."

"Ah, Hollow'd?" asked Sigim.

"Asking about your magic marks on your arm? That curse is already gone." responded Hollow'd.

Sigim knew it was true. Since Asha kissed him, the arm ceased to hurt. He never felt more sure of defending the people. Those magic marks still were there, but now they made him stronger.

"Guys, I might be asking too much of you already. But we need to go on the offensive." said Hollow'd.

"It's fine, Hollow'd." said Admina. "We've got to hunt them down."

"What do we call ourselves then?" asked Drive. "It's good to be known and feared."

"Maybe the Shattered?" asked Shard.

"Too submissive. The Change?" said Arena.

"Too vague." said Sera. "How about… EX1?"

"A new beginning." said Hollow'd. "Let's get some rest."

* * *

Hollow'd was sleeping until Sera gave him a kiss on the forehead.

He opened his eyes, then wished he didn't look. She was topless. He blushed very intensely.

Sera snuggled on top of Hollow'd, sharing in his warmth.

"To me, you're always warm." said Sera. "It used to be said among the Blazes that your loved ones are always warm to you. I never believed it… until now."

Hollow'd looked around for his shirt. Then he remembered it was burned up.

"Sera? What time is it?"

"Midnight. I couldn't sleep, so I decided to kiss you."

"Then why did you… how should I put it…"

"Become topless? The freedom, and the fact that I wanted to see how you reacted."

"Still, Sera! You know I don't want to be a bad boyfriend."

"I know. You're the best. You don't want me to do things for you. You want me to do things with you. Plus, what you want are actually pretty reasonable."

"Then… what do I do? Plan for the future?"

"Yes. Like getting married."

"That I do want. To one day live life with you. Because you help me. Plus, I love you, so there really isn't much bad blood between us."

"There was a few days ago, but that's over."

Hollow'd hugged Sera closer to him. As they felt each other's heartbeats they kissed.

"Want to-"

"NO! NOT TODAY!" said Hollow'd. "In the future. Right now I'm happy to lie around with you, hug you, kiss you, love you, even if you're topless."

"Actually, you may not realize it, but I'm naked."

"Do you mind?" said Hollow'd. "At least put some pajamas!"

Sera disregarded him, and was promptly rolled over.

On top of her was Hollow'd, amusement on his face. Sera blushed intensely.

"On second thought… okay." She had her blaze rods put on her pajamas for her.

Hollow'd snuggled closer to Sera, and started kissing her. She returned the kisses and they fell asleep in each other's arms.

* * *

It was morning, and a portal opened on a faraway island.

Hollow'd stepped out, and looked back at the others.

"This is our starting point. Let's start the offence."


	16. Chapter 15: The Other Side

Chapter 15: The Other Side

_Within Deep Space… Faithus worked._

"Done." said Faithus. "His injuries are all healed up."

"Good." said Anatas. Her eyes were red from crying. "When will he wake up?"

"Either when he feels like it or when you… kiss him? I'm not too sure on that part."

Anatas wasn't listening. She was already thinking of devious methods to torture Hollow'd for eternity.

Then she went to back reality. Looking at Walker's sleeping face, she couldn't believe how peaceful it looked, despite the things that happened to him.

She recognized the silver pellets Hollow'd shot off. They were made of antimatter.

She knew Walker's pain. After all, she lost an arm to those same antimatter pellets…

She stroked Walker's hair, hoping he would wake up.

"Why?" muttered Walker.

"Because I love you. I want to care for you." responded Walker. She kissed him tenderly.

Walker sat up, then got up. He leaned on her. Anatas blushed.

"Thanks for supporting me." He gave her a quick kiss.

Anatas smiled. Her day just got better.

Trap was busy summoning chains from the ground. He tested them before he let them disappear.

Renda was nearby, bending glass into odd, fantastic shapes before stopping and placing it on the floor. Nearby were other similar glass shapes, all different colors.

Trap stopped summoning his chains and walked over to Renda.

"It's lunchtime, Renda. Want to go out for lunch?" asked Trap.

"Sure." she said with a slight, almost unnoticeable blush.

Both walked over to a hill with a picnic basket. They opened up the basket.

"Freshly squeezed orange juice. Always a delight." said Trap.

"Pasta with chicken sausage. You're outdoing yourself, Trap."

"It's not that hard. I'll have to admit, as good I am at cooking, you're much better at mixes of foods cooked together. Like the pasta in front of you, Renda."

Renda took a taste. "Love the taste. Love- nevermind."

"Love what Renda? Can you please tell me what else you love?"

"I- I- I love you!" stammered Renda.

Trap looked at Renda, a look of surprise on his face. With his black hair and grey eyes, he looked as if he would chain her up.

Renda turned around, a look of extreme embarrassment on her face. She felt someone stroking her hair.

She turned around to face Trap's kind eyes. In his hand was her purple hair.

"I've always cared about you, but to have you love me-"

Renda turned around again, with tears forming. She was sure that Trap hated her now-

until he whispered in her ear "I love you too."

She turned around and felt his soft lips, giving her the first kiss she ever had. She bent time, to enjoy the kiss fully.

They moved away from each other. His grey eyes stared lovingly into her purple eyes.

"You're sweet, you're cute, you're someone that I feel like I can protect. You are someone I would love." he sweetly whispered.

"It's the same for you." murmured Renda. "You were always the warmest person to me."

"The same for you." said Trap.

He closed his eyes and found Renda on top of him. She hugged him.

Trap hugged her as well, snuggling closer to each other.

Faithus rubbed his jaw. Despite the fact that it already healed, he could still feel the aftereffects. Death's punch was at least the force of a concentrated nuclear bomb. He sat on a plain couch, nothing special.

"Faithus… does it still hurt?" asked Switch. She scooted closer to him and stroked his white hair.

His golden eyes turned to her white ones as he scratched her long sky-blue hair fondly.

"No. It's sore though." he said. "I can deal-"

He stopped at Switch kissed where he rubbed. She pulled back with a pleasant blush on her face.

Faithus blushed as he went in and gave her a proper kiss.

"How's your wings?" he asked.

Angelic wings opened up on her back.

"Healed up. I should be able to fly now." said Switch as she leaned more on Faithus.

Faithus picked up Switch easily. She blushed even more.

"Come on. We have humanity to defend."


	17. Chapter 16: Music from His Soul

Chapter 16: Music for the Soul

Sera woke up in her pajamas. She heard the sound of a piano.

Nearby was a portal. She got off the bed, put on her clothes for the day, then stepped in.

She was in a small room, with a piano nearby. Playing on it was Hollow'd, fully dressed, who paid no attention to her.

He started playing a mournful song, with chords and scales that moved her.

She heard silent words, and listened.

_I am cursed. Doomed to wander the land._

_I am cursed. Never to form a band._

_There is only one straight road_

_Others walking now there to go goad_

_Why I am there to live again?_

_There is nothing to be gained_

_But pain_

_and death by the drain._

_In time I once believed,_

_Now I must see thousands of Eves,_

_Going down the road_

_Where others goad._

_Though I may be light,_

_I will still go and fight._

_I am the dark light_

_in the best sunlight._

_Evermore cursed_

_To go around and search_

_for a meaning_

_to my thinking._

_I am cursed forevermore,_

_to go and search for more_

_for a meaning time never solved_

_or either evolved._

_I am cursed forevermore_

_never to live again for more_

_Seeing from darkness sunlight_

_but being light within the night._

He stopped the song, then started another one. He immediately stopped.

Sera sat on the bench next to Hollow'd and hugged him. "I'm so sorry." she said.

"I feel like something is wrong. Fighting them… isn't right. They're also defending humanity…" muttered Hollow'd. "The real enemy… could it be ourselves?"

"Hollow'd?" asked Sera. "Why are you here?"

"This room? I play the piano. It's classic. And it's the only way I can really do something like that."

"I've always thought you were someone happy."

"Once upon a time I was. But then I was taught by time. Literally. During those days I learned too much, and I was left with too much." said Hollow'd. "Time is the best teacher. But it usually kills its pupils. I'm the only exception."

"What do you mean?" asked Sera.

"I discovered the extent of my powers. That was when I was cursed: to have the power to defend those I loved, yet end up killing my loved ones. Power isn't everything, and power is maddening. I don't want to defend you and end up killing you." He started crying.

"It's alright, Hollow'd." said Sera. "You make me happy, you make me brave, you're the one that I love. I don't want to be separated from you. Ever."

"Why?" muttered Hollow'd.

"Physically, you make feel happy, confident the day will go right. You are reassuring. And you are the kindest person that I have ever met."

She put her hands on the piano, then took them away.

"Hollow'd?"

"Yes, Sera?"

"Can you teach me how to play the piano?"

Hollow'd hugged Sera and kissed her.

"Of course."

* * *

Both Hollow'd and Sera walked out the portal, hand in hand.

"What do we do now?" asked Sera.

"We sleep, or get everyone and find Revelation in Deep Space."

"Let's find Revelation."

Sera and Hollow'd waited as one by one the other 4 members of their group came into their room. Then Sigim and his group came in.

"Sigim. I've got a job for you to do."

"Alright then. What is it?"

"Train. Train enough so that I have to use a weapon to subdue you. Except for my hands."

"Reasonable enough. When will you be back?"

"Tomorrow."

"Got it."

Hollow'd opened a portal, and the other followed him.

* * *

Faithus was calmly chatting with the other members when Hollow'd fell out of the sky.

His 5 other group members landed besides them, preparing to strike.

"I might need your help, Faithus." said Hollow'd.

He got no further. Faithus punched in the jaw, up into a cliff. The cliff broke apart as Hollow'd broke out.

"Attack!" cried out Faithus. His other group members repeated the same cry.

Then everyone was portaled into the alternate universe…


	18. Chapter 17: Death or Death

Chapter 17: Death or Death

All twelve of them released their limiters at once.

What was left of the endless stone plain were newly formed mountains and a huge chasm.

Hollow'd was in furious fighting with Faithus while Sera and Switch faced off, melting and moving the landscape around them.

To their left was Shard countering Trap's restrainers with his sharp stone needles while Admina broke rules to avoid Renda's distortion attacks, which bent the rocks around them.

In the air was Drive matching off with Walker while Arena defended herself from Anatas's barrage of hellfire.

Mountains around them were being shifted, undermined, and cut down.

Faithus and Switch regrouped together.

"Ugh… he broke some of my ribs. I think I skeletonized his left leg. How're you?" said Faithus.

"Serious third-degree burn on my back. She has hypothermia now, though." said Switch.

Faithus healed up his injuries and Switch's just as he noticed both Hollow'd's and Sera's injures heal up.

He decided to play his trump card. He released his seal.

Immense power rolled over the area, instantly terraforming it into a barren wasteland.

His fist met Death's , and the force of the punch injured both Switch and Sera behind them.

Both were more motivated to end it. They had waited long enough to defeat each other, but for two very different reasons.

Faithus wanted to save humanity. Death wanted to end the madness.

Before he disengaged, he realized what would happen if he let his fist slip. So Hollow'd grabbed Faithus and threw him into another portal, into another part of the alternate dimension. He jumped in, and Sera and Switch followed.

Neither Sera or Switch wanted to fight. They released the real issue.

Both leaned on each other as they flew into the portal.

Inside, Death and Faithus fought to a standstill. Death had holes in his torso and exorcism darts stuck in his back. Faithus on the other hand was missing his left arm, and had ragged holes where Death's right hand ran through his body.

Both breathed heavily. The wounds were taking their toll.

Death shot off silver antimatter pellets as he summoned a giant burning meteor to collide with Faithus. Faithus in return summoned fire from the sky and used a binding spell on Death.

The silver pellets and the meteor collided with Faithus, causing the same explosion Switch and Sera were too familiar with. Sera had seen Anatas hit with the pellets, while Switch heard from Anatas how it felt. As she put it, it felt like every atom in her body turned into painfire.

As for Death, he suffered more third-degree burns. He tried to move, but was stuck in one place.

Faithus closed his eyes.

The other ten team members teleported into the same area. Death's group was pummeled to critical condition. Faithus's had no wounds.

Death already knew what happened. Faithus had made his team stronger.

Death already knew what he had to do. That didn't mean he had to like it.

"Full power."

Destruction engulfed the area. Switch shifted with Sera holding on to her hand to avoid the blast. They both knew it would have critically injured them.

Faithus and his group were covered with shields that Death put up. They promptly dissolved.

Around Death's team members were shields and nanobots. They were healing his group's wounds.

Sera and Switch noticed that they had a shield around them too. Death wasn't intent on killing.

He was intent on knocking sense into heads.

The rest of Faithus's group responded by releasing their seals.

There was no destruction. Death siphoned it away deep below the rock. A resounding BOOM was heard.

The 5 charged at Death. In a second they all connected their fists with his stomach.

An airburst appeared from the force of the punch. Nothing happened.

Switch watched in horror as she realized the group broke their fists.

Death looked amused, then slightly annoyed.

"There's a reason I didn't want to do this. It's because I knew this would happen."

Then he suddenly grabbed Walker by the throat, and threw him into the air.

Anatas cried out as Death shot missiles and spells at Gatling gun speed. They all hit.

Walker fell back to Earth, and in an instant Death cut off his legs with a mysterious sword…

… pitch black, emanating deep, ancient, God-like power. It seemed similar to an Art of Revenge weapon… only much more…deathly. More concluding, more ending.

The blade had a simple blade hilt with a sharp pommel. The blade itself… was that of a katana, yet was no weapon a mortal blacksmith would ever forge. The blade behind it was jagged, like shark teeth.

It was a weapon designed to mutilate, to kill, to cripple. It was a weapon meant to kill immortals. The black color accentuated its purpose.

Walker groaned, then became silent as Death stabbed him. He was still breathing, but one would think he was on the brink of death.

Anatas jumped at Death. Death swung his sword overhand, but Anatas grabbed his right arm…

and saw her right arm cut off. The jagged end of Death's sword worked like a chainsaw, cleanly removing her arm.

She screamed at the top of her lungs, then was knocked unconscious as Death hit her on the head with a responding crack.

He used a crescent slice to block Trap's jail set, and thrust his pommel in front of him. Renda cried out in pain, as Death used her own distortion powers against her.

Death thrust his sword at Renda, and an air blast pushed her away. She was airborne as Death quickly stabbed her.

She couldn't move. Her whole body was overwhelmed with pain.

Death, kindly enough, teleported the blade out of her body.

Renda fainted from the pain as Trap fell away from the earth… into Death.

Death said "Art of Death: Final Crescent."

He slashed, and he watched Trap fall back to earth.

Trap couldn't feel his right leg and arm. Death had cut them off.

All Trap could remember before he fell unconscious was the pain, and the metal. It was soulbound.

Faithus took out his G.O.D. Sword, and clashed with Death. Death's sword sliced through it like butter.

In an instant Death's blade cut off Faithus's right arm and almost cut into his heart.

Switch flew through the shield and stood in harm's way.

Death put away his sword, and healed up the defeated team members.

"Traitor!" said Admina as she Gravity Punched him. She was at full power, with her seal released.

Death spat out blood. He already sealed up his power.

He promptly turned up back to his full power, and took out his sword.

Shard grunted in surprise as his shards failed to defend him. He fell holding his left arm.

Arena was already knocked out. Her head was bleeding, and Drive was carrying her. He had only one leg.

Admina was lying next to Shard. She was lucky enough to be hit with the flat side of his sword, and yet still shuddered at the raw power of the sword.

Sera suddenly appeared and stabbed Death in the heart with a supernova sword. "Please… stop it." she begged him. She was crying.

Death put away his sword, then took off his right arm. He finally went back to regular post-seal power.

He kissed Sera, as if it were the last time he would do so. "I'm so sorry."

He fell onto Sera. In mere seconds, he died within her arms.

All Sera could think about, along with the others, was his cruel, cursed fate.

* * *

Hollow'd got up in another dimension. He knew where he was. Limbo.

Above him, the path to life appeared, ridden with sorrow and suffering.

He knew the way. He knew the dangers.

And he knew what would happen if he didn't go back.

He was tired. Death sapped his energy, and left him unable to use his powers.

But he knew one thing. He had resolve. Resolve to return and finished what had begun.

He slowly climbed up the sheer cliffs and swam up waterfalls, to live again.

* * *

Sera cried. She was the one that killed him.

Beside her was Faithus, burdened with guilt. Hollow'd tried to do a good thing. He retaliated with thankfulness and pain.

All of them were under limiters and their seals, but the air remained charged. Hollow'd's power was immense.

It was gobbled up by death.

Sera knew why he died. It wasn't the wound. She knew why.

Hollow'd wanted to die.

It made her sad, and her sadness only grew as she remembered his last words.

"I'm so sorry." she repeated sorrowfully.

Admina and Arena gave Hollow'd sisterly kisses. "I never got to apologize to him." muttered Admina sadly. "I never got to say thank you to him." said Arena.

Beside them were Drive and Shard. They were preparing to bury him.

"Hollow'd, you were a friend. A love. A benefactor. Our leader. And now… rest in peace." muttered Drive.

Shard covered him up with quarried stone blocks, eventually making a mausoleum.

Anatas gripped her hand tightly with Walker's.

"Even though he's not my favorite person… he was good. He had a purpose. And he was killed for it. Paying the price for something that was not naturally to be." said Anatas.

"I know." said Walker.

Nearby was Trap making sure the tomb was safely locked so no thief could get in. Renda watched him work.

"We never got to know him… and he was better than we were. Selfless, rational, stoic." said Renda.

"I know. I had to jail him." responded Trap.

Looking at the mausoleum, Faithus gave a silent blessing to Hollow'd soul. He fought well to join two sides, and both his enemies and friends were ungrateful for it.

That feeling was gone.

"So… sad." said Switch. Her angelic wings spread out.

Trap put the finishing touches, and everyone prepared to leave… until the mausoleum broke apart.

Standing in the ruins of the tomb was Hollow'd… alive.

Sera turned around, her vision blurred by her tears. Her joy grew as Hollow'd walked over to her, and gave her a hug. It was warm, proving he was real.

"Hollow'd… you're back?! How?" asked Sera.

"I climbed out of Limbo, back to life. Literally." said Hollow'd.

Sera tumbled Hollow'd onto the ground, and pressed her body on his. She could hear his heartbeat, strong and steady.

Hollow'd was frowning. "I just remembered. Today's your birthday. And I didn't get you a present…"

Sera gave him a passionate kiss. "That's fine." she said with tears coming down her cheeks. "You already gave the only thing I wanted: you."

Hollow'd hugged Sera tighter and gave her a full-fledged kiss. It lasted for seemingly eternity- probably because Faithus was distorting time. That part didn't matter.

Hollow'd got up and picked Sera up, bridal style. Sera blushed and demanded to be put down.

"Why?" asked Hollow'd. "You're enjoying it."

Sera didn't respond. She knew it was true.

Hollow'd walked to Faithus. "Friends?"

All of Faithus's group said "Friends."

Sera kissed Hollow'd. "Love?"

Hollow'd responded with another kiss. "Love."

* * *

Another portal opened on the world. The group stepped out. Sera was still in Hollow'd's hands.

They portaled again back to their headquarters.

Sigim and his group were there. All of them blushed as they saw Sera in Hollow'd's arms.

"Who are these people?" asked Sage.

"New friends of our group, the people that attacked you."

"WHAT!?" said Asha.

"They're friends. They swore with a binding magical contract. Can you deal with it?"

Armis looked around. "I think so. Didn't you say we had to train?"

"Just by looking at you I know I need to take out a weapon. Have a good rest of the day."

Sigim's group left the headquarters.

Hollow'd turned around to the rest of his group. "We've got plenty of rooms now, so close your rooms wisely.

Everyone went with his or her love.

"Two-people rooms are in C corridor of Headquarters. Have a good day."

* * *

Sera straddled Hollow'd and gave him a kiss.

He woke up immediately. "What did I say about being naked with me?"

"Put on clothes, I believe?" she said. She laughed with mischief in her eyes. "By the way, I took off your shirt."

"Not again." said Hollow'd. He gave her an amused smile, then a smile of mischief.

Sera was once again flipped onto her back. Hollow'd was on top of her.

"Are you going to at least put on pajamas? I can deal with you being topless." said Hollow'd.

"No." she confidently said.

In one swift movement Hollow'd managed to her pajamas on her. She blushed intensely.

"Hollow'd!" she protested.

"If you did it yourself, this wouldn't have happened." said Hollow'd with a sly smile.

"Just asking… how did you come back to life?" she asked.

Hollow'd got off of her, then snuggled in the bed with her.

"One of the modifications I made to myself is the ability to choose whether to die. When I 'died', I didn't get sent straight to hell. I went to Limbo. There, there was a choice to go to hell, and truly die, or take the long, painful, sorrowful way back to life. I could have used Rebirth chambers, but I'm not that kind of person." said Hollow'd.

Sera felt his and her heartbeat. They beat in sync.

Hollow'd started stroking Sera's long flame-colored hair. It reached down to her waist. As he stroked it, Sera scratched his hair.

"Love you." said Hollow'd. He kissed her.

"There's one more thing… your right arm."

"Can I have it back?"

"Sure. Just lie down." She went to a nearby table, picked up the arm, and lied down on Hollow'd's right side. She found the stump where his arm connected to, and placed the arm there. She gave the arm a kiss for good luck.

The arm connected to Hollow'd, then locked into place. Hollow'd moved his arm experimentally, then touched her cheek with it. Though it was cold moments ago, to Sera it felt warm like a real human arm.

Sera grabbed his right arm and hugged it close to her heart. Hollow'd blushed, then hugged Sera closer.

"Why are you hugging it?" asked Hollow'd.

Sera thought about it for a moment, then rolled on top of him. "It's a part of you." she explained. "And your right arm was the last part of you… that you left behind before you died. It was a relic, something to remember you by."

Sera retired to the side, and opened her arms up.

Hollow'd and Sera hugged each other and gave each other a last kiss before falling asleep under the stars.


	19. Chapter 18: Fallen Angel of Death

Chapter 18: Fallen Angel of Death

"I know our true enemy." said Death. "Malus, Subject 169, The Universal Evil. He ended the first universe, and now wants to end it permanently."

"Then let's just kill him! It's simple enough! We have 12, he's only one. Why wait to kill him?" asked Faithus.

Hollow'd looked at Faithus in mild surprise, a first for everyone. "Malus represents all of the evils everywhere, anywhere. His power grows with more evil, and you know what that means. He is the True God, according to the creators. And he has to use lots and lots of limiters" responded Hollow'd. "I'd say he won't hesitate to release all of his limiters."

Admina looked at the ground in despair. "Isn't there anything to do?"

"Yes…" nervously said Sera. "We train… and not see each other for years."

"It's our only hope." sadly commented Hollow'd. "As a side-note, I'm killing myself."

"WHAT!?" clamored everyone.

"It's the fastest way to get to the deepest level of Hell. The Hell of Time." explained Hollow'd. "I have to get stronger, to protect everyone I love. What about everyone else?"

"I'll be in the far north, where the bitterest cold resides." said Sera. "It'll be long, and I'll get hypothermia a lot… but it's the best way to deal with the cold."

"Both Shard and I are going to be in an underworld realm to steel our wills and strengthen up." said Admina.

"Arena and I will be in a puzzle nation, where thieves and contests should get us ready." said Drive.

Faithus and Switch hugged each other. "We're going to a part of the underworld, where the damned scream and try to break us. They'll be throwing hellfire at us… which will make us aware."

Renda and Trap held hands firmly. "Renda will be training with ninjas. Seriously. I'll be working with escape artists to fill up holes in my defenses and restraints."

Anatas and Walker stood nearby each other awkwardly. "We'll be in space for years, thank you very much." they both said.

"Then its decided." said Hollow'd. "In 5 years we'll meet at my grave. Put it in a place where it's memorable and easy to find, but don't let it be grand. At least have the tombstone be classic." he said. "One more thing… for Sera only."

The other ten left the area, setting out to their training areas.

"Sera… I have two things to give to you. My right arm… and something you lost universes ago."

He took out a pearl necklace. It was bright as a star, and it changed from blues to reds to white.

"You lost this… and I found it. I tried to find you, to give it back to you… but I never remembered till now." muttered Hollow'd.

Sera took it, and kissed it. She put it on Hollow'd. "A symbol of our love." she said. "I think you'll need it more than I'll do."

He held her hands. "In 5 years. Meet up at my grave." He took off his right arm. "Can you do the honors?" he asked.

With tears coming down her face, Sera nodded. She took out a lava sword, and stabbed him in the heart.

He leaned on Sera, his breathing labored. "I… love… you." he said. "Never forget that." He gave her one final kiss before he died.

* * *

The funeral service was done.

Hollow'd was ready to be burned. Sera did the honors.

She erupted fire into being, and touched his body with it.

His body burned to ashes in mere minutes. Hollow'd knew she was going to cremate him.

"From fire… you will be reborn." said Sera.

* * *

_5 years later…_

A woman in a seraphic armor, colored with the shades of fire, flew towards 5 year old tomb. She had fire colored eyes and hair.

Sera landed next to the grave of Hollow'd Mortuus.

"When, Hollow'd?" she muttered.

In her arms was Hollow'd's right arm, carefully cared for in the 5 years. It suddenly disappeared into thin air.

Admina and Shard teleported nearby.

"Shoot. You're early." they both said. Shard was wearing a tight white t-shirt and jeans. Admina wore a bodysuit with magic sigils on it.

"Why not? I still wish for him." she responded.

"Still…" Admina said. "The underworld realm was crazy."

5 minutes went by before Anatas and Walker appeared.

Both were dressed the same they were 5 years ago. Just a lot more advanced.

"How's everyone. Haven't seen anyone for years…" asked Walker.

Anatas gave him a gentle push. "That's because you were focused on outrunning the pull of a black hole, you numbskull!" she playfully said.

Renda suddenly appeared, emerging from a nearby boulder. Trap punched his way out of a nearby cliff.

"Wonderful training, those ninjas have. I was laughing on how many times you already missed me." she cheerfully said.

"Those escape artists are some of the trickest people I've had to deal with." he said. "But it was worth the time."

A small chasm appeared nearby. Faithus and Switch flew out.

Faithus wore simple sport pants and a well-fitting dress shirt. Switch has angelic battle-gear on.

"I think I almost went deaf in there." Switch said. "Those damned are awfully loud."

"At least one person was trying to sing." Faithus added. "It was the worst sound yet."

Drive and Arena suddenly appeared.

"Anyone need a lock opened? I got it." Drive said.

Arena looked around. "Don't steal the chocolate bar, Drive. I know you're about to."

Drive moved back. He knew it was true.

The eleven of them were back, stronger, ready to eliminate Malus before Revelation.

But where was Hollow'd?

* * *

Hollow'd was chained in The Hell of Time. He knew his power.

Now he needed life.

He closed his eyes, and the chains snapped, then crumbled. The restraints that held him for 5 years were no more.

He ascended, past demons and the damned.

Back to life.

* * *

Sera couldn't wait. She wanted to embrace Hollow'd so much.

She also wanted him to stop the madness around her.

Something rained out of the sky onto the group, turning them against each other… except Sera. She burned up the material.

After 5 years, she saw the extent of everyone's powers.

Faithus dueled with Shard, who used the dust around him to draw blood. Admina stood by him, shooting mini supernovae at Switch. Switch kept on changing spots, occasionally redirecting a supernova at Admina.

Drive and Arena worked together to send bullets and bombs arcing towards Renda and Trap. Renda constantly created black holes, while Trap threw boulders and released long-forgotten monsters with his powers.

Above it all, Anatas and Walker were strafing everyone with gravity-enhanced air cannons.

"No… please… don't fight…" she said.

She couldn't fight them. She had not a single hope alive… but she had a hope from the dead.

The grave of Hollow'd violently shook, then blasted apart. Hollow'd rose up from the grave, recently back from the dead. He looked… very, very, different.

His black hair was yet even darker, to the point where she could not doubt it was Underworld black. His eyes still changed when he blinked, but they were more diverse: one shifted colors, while another turned into its negative.

His arm seemed to be upgraded: it was like a robotic version of what his arm should have been. His left arm only had a combination rune/sigil on it, but it seemed to radiate power. And…

…he was wearing the necklace she gave him.

_"I… love… you. Never forget that."_

Hollow'd portaled to Sera and gave her a quick kiss. "I'm back. Am I too late?"

"No… right on time actually." she said with surprise. She couldn't stop the tears from flowing down her face.

He gently wiped them off. "We're together, right?" he asked.

Sera gave him a kiss in response.

"I'll deal with this. Want to help?" he asked.

Sera nodded, and grasped his hand tightly.

Together they flew into the battle area.

* * *

"This area… corrupted with evil." said Hollow'd. "Malus's doing. You're not affected though."

"Why?" she asked.

"You became angelic. If not in body, then in heart." he explained.

She realized she felt more benevolent, more kindly, more caring.

"I can stop them." he said.

"NO!" she shouted. "The last time you did that, you were critically injured. I don't want you dying again! You are staying with me, whether or not you got stronger."

Hollow'd suddenly picked her up, bridal style. She blushed.

"I spent 5 years in the deepest hell… to protect you. The time I spent in there felt like universes. How can I live with being your boyfriend if I can't even defend you?" he whispered.

Sera touched his face, then stroked his hair. "We've all gotten stronger. You don't always have to be there. Just being there to support me… is fine." she whispered. She gave him a good-luck kiss.

Hollow'd put her down carefully, and helped her up.

"Let's knock some sense into them." he said.

* * *

"Solaris: Converging Stars!" shouted Sera.

Millions of stars appeared in the area, following everyone.

Hollow'd only said "Initiate: Source Arm 2.0."

His right arm changed, rebuilding into another arm… designed to carry every weapon ever created.

It was more like a demonic arm, with the spikes that jutted from the elbow and shoulder.

He aimed it at the group, and shot darts at them.

The darts were blessed. They were exorcism darts of the highest order.

They all hit, and the group returned to normal… until they looked at Hollow'd.

None of them recognized him. All they saw was a stranger, possibly Malus, and Sera conspiring with him.

Arena was the first to make a move. "Cataclysm: Infinite Antimatter."

Hollow'd was engulfed with a huge explosion that the old Hollow'd would have been seriously injured by.

But Hollow'd spent time in a place where time was messed up, where time actively tried to kill him.

The explosion did little more than make him feel like he had been punched properly. And he had all of his limiters on.

Sera retaliated with the force of a supernova. Admina responded with an extremely amplified gravity punch.

Hollow'd got in between and took the brunt of both attacks. He negated the supernova while grabbing Admina's hand.

Behind him, a mountain crumbled from the force of Admina's punch, which Hollow'd redirected.

He threw Admina away and outran Drive. As Drive gasped Hollow'd changed his eye.

His right arm became surrounded by a silvery aura.

"The antimatter sub-element." he said. He grabbed Drive and threw him.

An explosion went off, and Drive flew into Arena, knocking both of them out. Both were bleeding. Drive was missing his left arm. For all of the power they acquired in 5 years, Hollow'd was much, much, more powerful.

Trap managed to summon chains to restrain him, making sure he couldn't escape.

Nearby, Renda was preparing a powerful black hole. It began to distort the area nearby, and Renda managed to walk safely away from the area.

The black hole grew, and consumed Hollow'd.

At least, where Hollow'd was.

Renda gasped in surprise as Hollow'd wrapped the chain around her neck. He pulled it tighter, and fell unconscious.

Trap managed to summon chains onto Hollow'd again, but they dissolved.

He noticed a poisonous green left eye. The acid sub-element.

Hollow'd punched a hole through his shoulder. Trap collapsed from the pain.

He didn't have to look to see that his teammates were defeated. Malus was going to kill them all.

Faithus and the rest still remaining held their breath, then all attacked. They never made it.

The area around them simply was destroyed.

And they all flew back, defeated before they hit the ground.

Sera saw it.

She saw madness in Hollow'd's eyes.

She flew, with wings she hid away for months.

And she took out her supernova sword and attacked.

Hollow'd dodged. Sera was on par with his power.

Heat based powers…, he thought. The power of love indeed.

He took out his sword, and attacked.

The swords never connected… and Hollow'd deliberately missed.

Sera didn't. She struck dead center in the heart.

Instinctually, Hollow'd struck back, swinging his sword and thrusting it through her heart.

His iris's grew in shock.

His sword disappeared, and he flew down, with Sera in his arms and her sword still in his heart.

He carefully laid her down on the ground and took out the embedded sword.

He was sane again, and howled in misery.

"NO! NO NO NO NO! WHAT HAVE I DONE!?" he shouted. He was in the grip of misery.

And he realized he may have killed her.

_"I spent 5 years in the deepest hell… to protect you. The time I spent in there felt like universes. How can I live with being your boyfriend if I can't even defend you?"_

He listened for breathing. He wanted to listen for that hope.

He heard breathing from her.

Miraculously, Sera was alive.

He quickly healed her up with magic. Then he bitterly wept.

He gave her a sad kiss, like the one 5 years ago, before he healed everyone else.

* * *

Sera woke up in a bed. She wondered where Hollow'd was.

She got up and stretched her wings. She had recently got them, as part of her lineage.

She flew inches from the floor, wondering what happened.

The door opened up. Admina stepped in.

"Do you know where Hollow'd is hiding?" she asked.

Sera gave her a silent no.

* * *

Hollow'd was in the dungeons.

His wrists were solidly manacled to the wall. His ankles were chained.

He was doing penitence.

And as he regretted what he had done, he revealed his pitch black wings.

The door to the dungeons opened.

And he stared at Sera's shocked face.

"HOLLOW'D!? WHAT- WHERE- WHY?" she asked.

"I almost killed you today." he said with all sincerity. "I'm paying penitence."

"WHY?!" she demanded.

"Today I almost killed my loved one. How can I be your boyfriend if I'm going to kill you?" he said.

"You're… just like a fallen angel." said Sera.

"That's literally true in an aspect." he said. "My mother was an Origin angel. Now I defile that name with my 'crimes'. As for you, you have a father who was an angel. An archangel."

He extended his pitch black wings to full length. If Sera didn't know who he was, she would have believed he fell from grace.

Sera revealed her golden wings. "Just… get out of those chains."

"Until you forgive me in your heart, I will not." he said. "Are you sure?"

Sera moved in and gave him a kiss. "Please." she begged.

The chains dissipated, and Hollow'd was free.

Sera hugged him and pushed him to the ground. She clambered up on top of him.

"I always thought as you as my guardian angel." she said. "Kind, timeless, and with a divine mission. There to help me in my time of need. But then you said you were a fallen angel. Sad. Rejected. Unloved. And eventually, cold and mad with regret or anger."

"You were always that sunshine in my life. You were a seraphim, guiding me with holy light. And you made me a better person." he said as he cried. "In that hell, I did get stronger. But it came with a price. Mild insanity."

Sera tried to kiss him, but he gently pushed her aside.

"Isn't it time to sleep?" he asked.

* * *

"At least can I see your wings properly?" Sera said.

"Fine." Hollow'd took off his shirt and extended his wings. He turned around.

He didn't need to look to see if Sera was topless. He knew.

"Not again." he said resignedly.

"Just get ready to sleep. I'll be there." she gently said. She nervously brushed her hair.

Hollow'd lied down on the bed, getting comfortable and remembering how it felt to be in a proper bed. In hell, there were nice spikes one could rest on.

He closed his eyes and slept well.

Sera got on top of Hollow'd again. Despite what happened, he seemed to be in peace.

She gently stroked his wings. Despite the fallen angel aspect of him, they were well-cared for.

Using her hands, she felt his back, where his wings connected with his back. It was real, as she hoped.

_"I… love… you. Never forget that."_

She kissed him, happy they were together again.

Hollow'd silently hugged her. She blushed.

"Felt that." he said. "You… still love me?"

"Yes." she said. She cuddled more in his warmth.

Hollow'd blushed. "It's fine. Just… feel my heartbeat. I already healed up my heart."

She felt her beat and his synchronize.

And she knew no matter what happened, they were supposed to be together. That sense was stronger than the fact that he was a fallen angel, she a seraphim.

Hollow'd closed his eyes and kissed her. "Thank you."

Sera held it longer and longer, cherishing the time they were together again.

Once, it seemed they would always be at each other's side.

Now, she couldn't be so sure after 5 years.


	20. Chapter 19: Sorrow Undead

Chapter 19: Sorrow Undead

It had been years since the forest elfs were defeated. They were proud people, capable of using an array of weapons.

They were acknowledged as the elite of wizards, archers, and swordsmen. None in the land could match them.

With their skills, they saved the forests which humans burned and chopped down.

The elves weren't facing humans.

They were facing other elves.

* * *

Asha looked carefully around her. She could see traps all around her.

She treaded carefully, dodging the traps she couldn't avoid activating.

She ducked as a tree branch shot off its own leaves. The leaves dug into a nearby trunk like knifes. They were sharpened green pieces of metal.

She sidestepped as an arrow narrow missed her. It was shot from a false tree.

She wielded the bow in her hands, selected an arrow with an acorn for a tip, and shot.

An elf fell out of the tree, the arrow quivering in his heart. A perfect shot. As he fell, the acorn grew and grew till it was a fully grown tree when the elf hit the ground.

Fluidly, she notched an arrow, drew her bow and shot backwards.

Another elf about to backstab her got an arrow in the skull for his troubles.

She scanned the area around her. No enemies.

Asha navigated the forest floor till she reached the end of the forest.

Nearby, Sigim was fighting off a squadron of elves.

With a roar he used chain lightning, shocking the whole group into submission.

He looked back.

"I don't like this at all. This is too… organized." he said. "They could have sent more squadrons just to get rid of us. After all, we're some of the few commanders of the elves."

"I know. It's too easy. Wish those traitors never separated themselves. We are the Elfish race, after all." she said.

The wind howled for a moment. Asha and Sigim looked around.

"Shoot! Those enemies… were bait! It's an ambush!" she said.

Elves seemingly rose up from the ground like the undead. Around Asha and Sigim, all of them drew their bows.

They both knew none of the enemy elves would miss their mark. All of them were trained well enough to hit any target 50 feet away.

They closed their eyes. It was hopeless.

Screams could be heard, and the stench of blood and burnt flesh became present.

Asha and Sigim opened their eyes.

Decapitated elves were lying flat on the ground. Dispersed around them were burnt-up elves. Before they died, they rushed around like the wind in a desperate attempt to quell the fires.

Standing before them were Sera and Hollow'd.

In an instant, Sera punched Hollow'd. He flew in an arc and landed in a crater nearby.

"Watch where you swing that sword!" she shouted. "You almost decapitated me!"

"Okay!" he shouted back. "Try not to melt me!"

He portaled back next to her. Asha and Sigim both sweated slightly.

"It's good to see you two again." Hollow'd apologized.

* * *

"It's rare to see oak trees these days. That is, unless you're in an elfish forest." noted Sera.

Hollow'd smiled. "It's been a long time since I've had Elfish cuisine. It's fresh, invigorating, and uses the perfect proportions of meat. Delightful, with the forest herbs and the game."

"Why are you here? It's been five years since we last saw you guys." asked Sigim.

"We're in a little war here." explained Asha.

"And I know it was fated to happen. Though I was hoping it wouldn't happen like this…" said Hollow'd.

"What!?" said Sera. She slapped Hollow'd, since she was still terrified at his raw power. He'd almost killed her.

Hollow'd looked at everyone. "In almost every universe, there was a great elfish war involving elfs fighting elfs. There are only 3 exceptions, and that was because the elfish race was extinct by then. And each time, it was called the Millennium War."

"But why?" asked Asha. She was new to this information.

"They were always fought over the area around the Millennium Spring. Elves can only live for at most around 300 years. The spring gives off spring water with a certain taste and chemical mixture. It's natural though, and if one drinks it, their lifespan will be extended to 1000 years. No more, no less. As a side note, the drinker will always speed-age to adulthood, then age very slowly."

Sigim thought about it. "We do have something like that. It's a healing spring, and it's said to impart live energy to the elderly. But why would they attack that?"

Sera interrupted. "To an elf, it's like the elixir of immortality, without all the bad side-effects. If an elf lived that long, they would have years of experience with the bow. They would be master sharpshooters… what's the most destructive arrow that an elf could make?"

Asha thought about it for a moment. "It's a plague arrow, with added poison and maybe some necromancer magic. If they were used… this forest would be a wasteland." She realized the implication of her words.

If the Millennium Spring was captured, the whole world would rot to death.

* * *

Nighttime fell upon the forest. Elves in the trees kept guard for reconnaissance.

Hollow'd was sitting in a tree with Sera.

"Those stars… a terrible fate… for… me." said Hollow'd. "It's true."

"And I know it. Monster." she said harshly.

Hollow'd didn't turn around. He knew what was next. It was going to hurt.

"You are only good for one thing. Killing. I want to live my life. So I'll tell you bluntly. I hate you." she said.

Both stood up, with Sera glaring at Hollow'd. Hollow'd kept a poker face.

"I absolutely, dreadfully hate you. You are Death. The killer. The ender of worlds. You tricked me. And you are going to kill me." she said quietly.

She unfolded her wings and took out a burning sword. "I HATE YOU! LEAVE, YOU FALLEN ANGEL! LEAVE, DECIEVER!" she shouted as she slashed Hollow'd's face.

The blade easily cut the skin at his cheekbone. Blood poured down.

Hollow'd turned around and unfolded his pitch-black wings. "Very well, Seraphim." he said coldly. "Hopefully we'll never cross paths again."

He opened a portal and flew through. The portal closed.

* * *

Hollow'd landed on the ground, wings still extended. He lied down on the grass.

Storm clouds were beginning to gather, then raining. Droplets harshly fell onto his face.

Hollow'd cried. He was betrayed, reviled, unloved. Exactly what he feared.

He should have been able to hate Sera. She did the worst thing she could do to him: reject him. And she was the closest to him.

He gently wished he could get up and curse her.

But somehow he couldn't bring himself to do that. Hurting those fire-colored eyes and hair hurt him more than her rejection of him.

He still loved.

But he could never be truly happy again.

* * *

Sera sat alone on a huge oak tree branch, looking on the stars.

She was happy she could live her life. Death was always a weight on her back, and when Hollow'd left, she was happy.

With all her heart, she hated him. His 'fallen angel' aspect and kind eyes couldn't disguise him for what he really was.

A murderer. The killer. The epitome of death.

The euphoria she had made her smile.

But she couldn't deny that there was something missing in her. As if she got rid of a piece of her heart.

* * *

Howls.

Howls pierced the air as Hollow'd killed demons with his fingers.

He stabbed fingers into their hearts, killing them quickly and efficiently.

He was trying to drown out his own sadness by killing.

It only made it worse.

"My curse… now I know. To be rejected by those I protect because of who I am. How do I break it…?"

* * *

Laughter.

Sera was laughing as she burned wave after wave of elves.

She was successfully holding off the elfish invasion single-handedly.

Arrows missed as they burned up in the air.

Her wings spread out, she was having the time of her life.

* * *

Fire crackled around Hollow'd as he forged weapons.

He was making a hilt, now inserting a crystal carefully into the hilt.

He sealed it up and grabbed it.

A blade, silvery and ethereal, was emitted from the blade.

"Mindblade, you are complete." he said.

It turned a deep blue.

* * *

Sera was now positively concerned.

The elfs retreated to allow 10 elite elves to approach.

They were all like Project EX0 subjects.

That one won't die, thought Sera. They're all still going. How is that possible?

She was overwhelmed and out-fought.

And suddenly she was pulled back… into a wilderness.

Hollow'd was there, systematically slaughtering the group with the tools of a forge. At the end of it, one elf had his had in the furnace, while another was brained with a hammer.

"Say 'thank you'." said Hollow'd.

Sera crossed the space and took out her fire daggers. She stabbed in the back multiple times, trying to kill this curse.

"I don't want to do this." miserably said Hollow'd.

"Damn right, you deceiver! All you do is KILL!" she shouted.

In a fluid motion Hollow'd grabbed her and threw her into the air.

Sera flew up and said "Solaris: Infinite Supernovae."

Hollow'd disappeared in the infinite supernovae around him, buffeted by the force of the explosions.

Sera saw him, shocked at how serene he seemed despite her attack.

It just made her want to kill him more.

She grabbed his throat and pinned him to the ground in a chokehold. She took her sword and repeatedly stabbed him again and again.

Blood cascaded from his body. He seemed to have an infinite amount.

She held her sword at his throat.

"Go... on…, Seraphim." he said. "You… want to… kill me… so badly? Then… just… do… it. I… won't… stop… you."

She thrust the sword forward into his heart and smoothly took it out. She let go.

As she turned around, for the first time, she saw Hollow'd angry.

A long time ago, he told her when he was "angry", he was annoyed, pissed, or angry. It was rare to see him in a rage.

"Congratulations." he said sarcastically. "You failed to do one thing: kill me. I did nothing to defend myself. I did everything I could to make you kill me. You failed. And my curse, for me, is still active. At least you don't have the weight of your actions on your back." he spitefully said.

He took off the necklace Sera gave him, and threw it at her. She caught it easily.

"Goodbye, enemy." he said before he disappeared.

Sera flew out of the portal. Once she was out, it shattered.

* * *

Fire.

Fire was burning everywhere.

And Hollow'd stood again in the Hell of Time.

"Cursed I am, never to be loved. Not a chance to be happy again." he muttered. "CURSE YOU, UNIVERSE!" he shouted.

Hell shook from the force of his shout.

But Hollow'd didn't care.

He went even deeper into hell, to the end of the infinite torture.

He lied to her about the deepest hell.

He faced the worst, that not even his most bitter enemy would wish of him.

Except Sera.

He knew she would want him to go to the deepest hell.

Why? She had once loved him.

He knew the answer to that.

She once had great love for him.

That love turned to the bitterest hate that not only stunned and killed, but also tortured even in death.

He had nothing to live for.

But everything to kill for.

And everything to be punished for.

* * *

Sera laughed as she breathed the fresh air.

The war was about to be over.

And she had another enemy to kill.

The greatest one. Even more valuable on her bounty list than Malus.

Hollow'd.

He had to pay.

Nothing could redeem him.

She was free.

Ready to hunt down Hollow'd.

And to make him pay for the hell he started.


	21. Chapter 20: Inflammable Oak

Chapter 20: Inflammable Oak

Elf by elf, the spring was reclaimed. Sera led the charge.

With fire, she burned through rows of archers. Smoke filled the area.

And with horrifying clarity, the forest was burning.

Every elf was trained to defend to forest. The only thing worth more than a spring was nature itself.

Bows were dropped as elves rushed towards the woods in a desperate attempt to put it out.

They were not Sera's flames. It was the color of bone. Skeletal white.

The color of a rare type of hellfire, reserved for the most damned.

She flew, soaring above the panicked masses.

* * *

Sheer cliffs dominated the area. No climber would ever dare to trek up without losing their life.

Hollow'd had nothing to lose, as he clambered back up to the surface. His life was void.

He was climbing up for 21 days.

He finally reached the top, not even winded. The universes he spent in the deepest hell augmented his power to devilish proportions.

He didn't need limiters anymore. He had full control over his power.

But it came with a steep cost.

Banishment.

Hate.

Rejection.

He sadly reflected on those times as he extended his wings, now no longer quite angelic.

His left wing turned skeletal, so that the bones could be seen. It was only working because of his magic.

The right wing looked closer to living, yet it was scarred and heavily cut.

He still bled from where his heart was.

In a moment of thought, he restored his heart.

* * *

Sera rushed in, putting out all the fires as easily as breathing.

She was bothered. None of the flames she produced were any kind of hell fire.

She had a suspicion of who it was.

Hollow'd.

The one she had been hunting.

The one that decided to go to hell, literally.

He had perfect timing. She was getting bored after a year.

* * *

Hollow'd put out the fires around him. He recognized where he was.

The elfish forest Trinita.

The place where he was rejected.

He sighed. Fate was not playing out the way he hoped.

Because he hadn't hoped in years.

In a moment he saw fiery hair and intense eyes that matched.

Sera stood, staring at Hollow'd, wondering what happened.

"YOU! YOU'RE THE ONE-" she started.

Hollow'd swiftly slapped her, and she pounded into a thick oak tree. There was a hole where she impacted the trunk.

He hoped she was unconscious. He had no desire to fight.

Especially with Sera, who was once his sweetheart.

Now his most angered enemy.

He shook off those thoughts, switched to the Eye of Precognition, and cursed.

The Living Portal stepped to the left and got in the way of multiple white laser blasts. They burned.

He said nothing as Sera pummeled him volcanic rock by rock.

"Haven't you learned anything in the past universes?" he complained as he blocked meteor after meteor.

"Yes." she calmly said. "Like how to kill you."

"Really? That's wonderful, but-"

Sera stepped in and said "Solaris: Infinite Supernovae."

Inside his body, stars were self-destructing.

Pure energy blasted out of his body, escaping the confines of flesh.

In an instant it was over.

Hollow'd shakely stood up, with blast holes in his body. His skin was smoking, and blood actively flowed from his wounds and mouth. His right arm threatened to crumble.

He felt no pain. The pain she gave him was nothing compared to the madness he had to deal with.

He stood up normally now, moving as if nothing happened.

"Shoot. Are you going to let me explain how to kill me?"

"YES! JUST GO BACK TO YOUR LITTLE HELL-HOLE-"

Hollow'd grabbed her by the throat and forcibly closed her mouth.

"Listen." he hissed. "I've already learned why I can't die permanently. So listen. I'm not using a limiter."

Sera did as he said. She already shuddered at his power, and had not a desire to find out how powerful he was now.

He let go.

"You know I am truly Death. What you don't know is that I am Death."

"That doesn't make any sense, you-"

"SHUT UP. YOU WANTED TO KNOW HOW TO KILL ME. I'LL TELL YOU THIS: YOU CANNOT." he growled. "As I was saying, I am Death. Death will always exist because there must always be an ending. All humans must die at some point, just like anything. Things will cease to be what they were. As for the fallen angel aspect, it means I represent something. The end result: death."

"So what you're telling me is that you are the reason every dies?" she hissed.

"No. It's that the only way for me to die is for me to live life. But I cannot." he said. "I would not wish my fate on you."

"Well then," said Sera sarcastically. "Who would I be?"

The Living Portal turned away from Inferno Incarnate. "You are the very definition of passion and all of its other names: anger, love, hate, and pleasure. You try to live life to the fullest. As for the way for you to die… I'm not telling you."

"TELL ME, YOU LIAR!" she roared.

"Fine." he icily said. "The only way for you to die is for you to live life to your fullest."

He walked away, wounds healing up before her eyes. Even the wings grew back their missing flesh, and flapped once sadly.

And for once, she saw him: sad, rejected, lost. With immense power but no real way to use it. He was masterless.

Maybe pain would be the solution.

"The war is over." she said. "So… GET BACK HERE!"

She extended her wings and watched him massacre the enemy elfs.

Blood flowed freely that day, and heads rolled with toes.

The war was over.

But her vendetta was not.

She grabbed him by the neck, and flew back to home base.

Asha and Sigim looked up from the forest, wondering what happened.

* * *

Eleven team members looked at one traitor.

They knew what had to be done. Torture.

Hollow'd was roughly thrown into a deep chasm.

As he fell, chains suddenly appeared and locked onto his body.

They twisted and turned to bind him to a spiked rock, then tightened to drive in the spikes.

A fire appeared from Sera's hand as she lit the spikes.

The stench of flesh soon became present.

Shard and Admina looked at him, their amusement alight.

"You finally came! How was your trip?" they asked. Sera had sent him into the base with meteors locked onto him."

"Delightful, consider I was in the deepest hell for universes. This is the 2004th universe, right?"

"No. It's still the 1004th." they both said. "You have no sense of time."

"Actually I do. I just don't use it. Now that remember, I distorted time in there." said Hollow'd.

Admina had a bright idea. She prepared to slap Hollow'd.

She cried out "Gravity Amplifer!" and arced her hand at Hollow'd's face.

In a moment, Admina was trying to yank her hand out of Hollow'd's mouth. He was trying to bite it off.

Shard quickly removed her hand and smashed him with huge boulders.

"Okay?" he asked Admina.

"Fine… mostly." she said. She gave him a kiss.

Shard gently brushed her away. "Allow me." he gently spoke.

He speared Hollow'd stalagmite by stalagmite in a not-so-gentle manner.

Drive suddenly appeared, punching Hollow'd so hard he got whiplash.

"Jeez Shard, let me torture him! Hollow'd- I mean It isn't going to wait all day."

Arena appeared nearby, with a pleasant blush on her face.

"Haven't admitted it-" started Hollow'd.

In a fury, Arena rushed up to him and pummeled him with devastating punches that rocked the chasm.

She finished with a kick in the balls.

Hollow'd didn't flinch or even bend over. All he commented was "That was already done. Hell is a dirty scumbag. You don't even compute."

A silence fell over the four. They didn't know what to say.

They knew what to think about: how inhuman he was.

Sera flew down from the sky, golden wings extended. She was dressed casually, along with others.

"The other 6 will be back in an hour or so." she commented.

Inferno Incarnate walked over to The Living Portal.

"Show me your true power. You must be weak. After all, I crushed you." she whispered gleefully.

Hollow'd frowned. He didn't want to at all.

But then again, she asked for it.

"Fine then. But on one condition: whatever happens is your fault." he muttered.

Sera smiled devilishly. She turned around and informed them to go full power, then said "Bring it on, container."

At full power, even with her seal released, she was no match. Hollow'd was like a primordial force: deadly, ancient, and destructive.

Hollow'd walked forward, breaking through chains of what was supposed to be indestructible.

He lazily grabbed warp-speed Drive by the throat, then slammed his fist into his ribcage.

A loud grinding noise was heard as he ground Drive's ribs into bones.

He tried to scream, but couldn't. Hollow'd already knocked all the breath from his lungs.

He threw him up into the air, high up near the border of space.

Instantly he stabbed him back into the chasm.

Drive was deep in a crater in the chasm, Death's sword in his body and the ground. He was lifeless.

Hollow'd smoothly slid the blade out of his body, and portaled out of the chasm.

He was met by Arena, now in a rage.

Her fists were covered in a silvery substance. Antimatter.

Hollow'd breathed in, then stood his ground as Arena tried to crush him in the name of revenge.

Explosion after explosion, the chasm grew bigger and bigger.

Arena stopped to take a break from the hard beat down. She walked to the side of the chasm.

On the other side was Hollow'd, smoking, his shirt in tatters.

"Not painful enough."

With a shock, Arena couldn't tell where Hollow'd was.

There was no warning when he impaled her through the heart with his right arm.

He removed it swiftly, then pushed her over the edge of the rift.

She only fell, face first next to Drive.

Arena barely lived.

The Living Portal looked down for a moment, then walked away from the brink.

Right into a trap.

"Entity: Hollow'd. Entity Movement=False. Entity Damage=False" shouted Admina.

Hollow'd couldn't take a step. He turned around and parried a blow from Admina using his Willblade.

In her hand was an enchanted obsidian weapon. It wasn't the strongest materials, but it was one of the sharpest.

In one fluid backhand, Hollow'd slashed at Shard.

The blade shattered. Admina changed the rules for him: he could do no damage.

Shoot, he thought. Looks like I actually have to try.

He focused his will and connected his punch with Shard's fist and Admina's weapon.

"/effect Admina Shard Strength ." she muttered. "Say hello to Dante for me."

The Living Portal retaliated with a brutal, unbearable force.

And he accidently punched a hole in reality.

He switched to his Eye of Details, and saw from the molecular level what he did.

The force of his punch didn't just break their arms.

It spared them the pain of seeing madness.

The rift he made was a portal to Madness, where those that go insane wander eternally in death.

He swift closed the portal, then spread out his wings.

They turned silver, its true color.

"Another lie. Let's see what happens." he muttered.

He didn't have to wait long.

From the sky, Sera drew her supernova sword.

"Another final showdown. This time you'll taste hell!" she shouted over the roar of her raw energy.

Hot on the pursuit, she extended 6 golden wings. She was a seraphim.

But not an archangel.

Fluidly, he flew up into the air, grabbed her sword arm, and drove her own sword into her heart.

She died, not from the blade, but from the sheer brute force, which later ripped the fabric of space light-years away, on a distant planet.

In shock, he let go of her arm. Before she crumbled, he wildly hugged her.

He fell upon his knees, his worst fear come true.

"NOOO…!" he bellowed to the heavens above.

* * *

Sera woke up in hell.

"So this is what he was talking about." she muttered. "It isn't my time to die yet, isn't it?"

In front was the treachous way up to life.

Behind her was the pit to hell.

It would be so easy just to fall into hell, no energy needed…

NO! I MUST HAVE REVENGE! she thought.

Revealing her 6 wings, she skipped the climb and flew to the heavens.

The path to life.

* * *

Hollow'd opened his eyes. Sera's body was warm again.

In a split second decision, he kissed her on the forehead.

Inferno Incarnate's eyes opened in shock.

"WHY YOU LITTLE-" she started to say with a embarrassed blush on her face.

"You're tired. Just rest. I'll leave." he said.

Sera wasn't listening.

She was alarmed at how warm The Living Portal was becoming.

Why am I falling in love with a murderer? she thought.

"The pain…" he muttered.

"What?" she gently asked. "It's not like killing me hurt you."

_"I spent 5 years in the deepest hell… to protect you. The time I spent in there felt like universes. How can I live with being your boyfriend if I can't even defend you?" _remembered Sera.

"It was the most painful thing for me to do. And what scares me… is how _easily _I did it." he confided. "Go on. Hate me till the end of the earth. Because now, I'm unredeemable."

He got up, extended his wings sadly, and started flapping his wings.

He was too slow as Sera caught him.

In a smooth motion, Sera slammed him down into the ground.

The Living Portal made not an effort to defend himself. She was within her rights.

So he was surprised when she kissed him on the cheekbone, where she slashed him.

"I can't love you again. But I can give you good luck, can't I?" asked Sera. "I shouldn't be saying this… but one day I hope you die."

Hollow'd smiled, and for once she saw his past self: happy, optimistic, ready for a challenge.

"Goodbye then." he said.

He took out his sword and stabbed it into the ground.

"Give it back to me when you need me." he said.

Sera scoffed. She didn't need him: she was powerful enough to defend herself.

The Living Portal then took off his right arm.

Sera's eyes stared. He would never do so unless…

"Find me in The Court of Silence. I'm missing something… but I don't know what." he said. "One day, I know you'll need me."

Sadly, he gave her another kiss on the forehead. As if the past was happening again…

"Why?" asked Sera skeptically.

Why is he being so nice? she thought. I've gone ahead and tried to kill him, so why does he still love me? I've made it clear I hate him.

"I know what you're thinking." said Hollow'd. "You are the light, perhaps my only hope. You are redemption. Besides, I'm still sweet on you, and I can't really hate you for what you've done. It's my curse, after all."

"That doesn't mean you shouldn't-" she began.

Hollow'd whirled around, misery in his eyes. "I've already killed for revenge. It is not satisfying or fun."

He opened a portal, and The Living Portal fell into The Court of Silence.

Sera stared. The portal was still there.

"Well that was a pain." someone said behind her.

Admina was there, rubbing her arm. She recently reformed her bones.

"Did not see that power coming." she muttered. "Every else is healed up."

Sera sighed in relief. She was worried about her teammates.

"Just asking… why do you have Hollow'd's right arm?"

"I ripped it off." she lied.

"Wonderful! Looks like he'll be easier to kill then. You know where he is?"

"Not really." falsely admitted Inferno Incarnate. "What about Piecestorm and his arm?"

"Sore, like mine. I had to use a /effect to heal us all. By the way, do you want me to use /smite?"

"On who?"

"Hollow'd. He's a pain, and he's too powerful."

"Hold off on it." Sera muttered. "We'll want to see it."

"Alright then." said Admina. "I'll need to take a look at Drive again. His ribs are pretty much shattered."

She teleported into the chasm.

Sera held The Living Portal's right arm close to her heart.

It was getting warmer, even though it was off.

She walked over to the sword Hollow'd left behind. It was light, and made as if it was her's.

A note was attached to the grip. She opened it and scanned the words.

_Death, death, death, and death. The deepest hell one can sense. _

_When will this cycle of killing ever end?_

_-Hollow'd Mortuus_


	22. Chapter 21: The Silence is Maddening

Chapter 21: The Silence is Maddening

Drive woke up. His ribs throbbed from Hollow'd punch.

A note from Sera was nearby his bed. He gingerly opened it.

_I'm visiting the Nether. Going to see modern Blazes. Tell everyone else. Don't freak out._

_~Sera_

* * *

From the sweltering heat, Sera appeared. She didn't break a sweat.

She was dressed well, with black stockings on. Under her short yellow Victorian dress she had a dress shirt on.

She put on yellow cloth vambraces and black gloves, then tied her hair into two ponytails with purple ribbons. Today was a special day.

This was _so _similar to her homeland.

Red skies, Ghasts dressed in white, and Magma Cubes playing in the lava… it reminded her of the past.

In front of her was a gigantic Nether Fortress, defended by Blaze soldiers and mercenary Wither Skeletons.

"Halt!" shouted one guard. He had black hair and lava armor on. In his hand was a fireball. "Who are you?"

She revealed her Blaze Rods. "Sera Calida."

The guard frowned. He had never heard of anyone named Sera.

But this beautiful stranger had legitimate Blaze Rods.

The guard sighed. "You may pass." he commented as he extinguished his fireball.

Sera hovered slightly above the ground, then flew in.

In front of her, a whole city of Blazes appeared, with buildings made of Netherbrick and Netherrack.

Inferno Incarnate laughed. This was her homeland.

Wonderful smells filled the air as professional Blaze cooks crafted their food.

She absolutely loved Blaze cuisine. It always had intense flavor, with the spices perfectly matching up with the base food.

Sera looked around, happy to be in the Nether again… until she saw Hollow'd.

He was just standing there, allowing Blazes to tauntingly pitch fireballs at him.

The Living Portal didn't see her as she lobbed a huge fireball.

The fireball descended upon him and connected with his head.

A wave of heat spread from where it hit.

It didn't bother any of the Blazes.

It woke up Hollow'd.

"What happened?" yawned Hollow'd. "Oh yes. Now I remember."

He went up to a Blaze and asked where The Court of Silence was.

"It's in the area above the Nether." explained a Blaze citizen. "There's a small hole in the bedrock where you should visit. But why would you go there? There's almost nothing to see."

"Penitence and madness. I'm changing hells." said Hollow'd. "Thank you though."

He gave a letter to him. "Deliver this to someone named Sera."

Sera blushed. She was not used to being so fondly talked about.

"Tell her this."

He descended to an inaudible whisper, then revealed his wings.

Beat by beat, he flew up to the top of the Nether.

Sera rushed to the Blaze citizen. "Hello!" she shouted.

The citizen stopped. "And you are?"

"Sera."

He turned around. "This man has this note for you. He also told me to tell you this- though I don't know what it means. It was Lusam=Malus."

"Thanks." she hurriedly said. She bid farewell.

Nearby a lava fountain, she sat down on a Netherbrick bench and read the letter.

_The silence is maddening. I might not be sane when I get out._

_Love, Hollow'd._

Inferno Incarnate frowned. Why would silence be so bad? It seemed to her that silence would allow her to think about life.

And why would she love her?

A shadow fell over her. She looked up.

5 Blaze thugs looked down at her.

"Your money." quietly threatened a Blaze. He had white hair.

Sera responded by freezing the area around her to Absolute Zero.

3 of the Blazes froze solid. The other two flew up and looked down in disbelief.

"You're a Blaze! How-?"

"I'm an Ancient Blaze. Tricks up my sleeves." shouted Sera.

She extended 2 of her wings and flew up to a Thug. Using her left hand, which was covered with a freezing aura, she immobilized him completely.

The thug fell from the sky, and shattered on the Netherbrick below.

There was only one thug left.

Hollow'd took care of him.

With an almost lazily arm movement he punched the back of the robber's head.

The thug fell into the lava fountain.

The Living Portal was dressed in a black tank top and pants, with belts wrapped loosely around his waist. He wore a scarf, and had on vambraces and gloves even though he didn't have two arms.

But he did. Where his mechanical arm was, a human arm took its place.

"That right arm I gave you is more like my backup arm." tossed out Hollow'd. "I never showed you my real right arm. And yes, it's the original and technomagic. I had to reconnect it."

Sera could see the scars where the arm joined with his body.

"So you're telling me that your old right arm is useless?"

"Naw. It's more like a weapon now. Just… give it to me."

Inferno Incarnate returned his old right arm to him.

"Ready, Calida?"

"Yes…" said Sera. "You too, Mortuus?"

He didn't answer as he transformed the arm into a blade grip.

"Take it." he muttered.

Sera took it in her hand.

A blade shot out from the grip, almost as if it was a lightsaber.

"Congratulations." Hollow'd said sincerely. "This is your Mindblade. It changes elements based on what you think and your state of mind."

Sera carefully placed it in the sleeve of her jacket.

Hollow'd turned around, and flew up into The Court of Silence.

* * *

The court was empty.

Made in a perfect cubic shape and with the blackest materials, the Court of Silence stood.

In there, Hollow'd sat down.

First he heard a vague buzzing. His own nerves.

Next he heard vague voices. His consiouness.

Finally he heard screams. His memories.

His torture.

The Living Portal tried to resist the screaming and the visions of all the people he killed.

Hollow'd Mortuus sweated, dealing with the horrible things he had done.

They were all the people he murdered.

And then… he snapped.

His sanity drowned in a chorus of his victims mentally wounding him.

He screamed in pain and started crying.

* * *

Just outside the court, Sera waited.

He had gone in seconds ago.

Hollow'd crawled out to her feet, then stopped, completely exhausted.

For once Sera saw him defeated.

She had to admit, despite how much she hated who he was, she could only pity him.

The Living Portal looked at her, crying.

"No… not those screams…" he muttered senselessly. His eyes looked shattered.

He had gone insane after what he felt was years.

It had only been a minute in the other world.

"Calida…" he muttered.

Seraphim Calida got on her knees and pulled Hollow'd Mortuus into a sitting position, his back to her. She patted his head.

"It's okay now." she comforted. "You're out of it."

The Living Portal's eyes focused, then fixed.

"Those screams… I could never make peace with my past… why did I have to… murder so many?" he said. His voice broke.

"It's past it. Get over it. You've tortured yourself enough on this." insisted Sera.

"Why?" he said miserably. "Every time I go to sleep, I hear the sounds of their suffering. It's… too much."

Inferno Incarnate pulled back The Living Portal into her lap. He blushed.

"I have to admit this… but I have nightmares… and they always have you in it." said Sera. "Every time, I'm an abandoned area… and you're hunting me down. And in that dream… you always say 'Traitor!'. As if I've betrayed you."

"A shared dream…" he muttered. "Every nightmare, I have to kill you… or else the voices in my head drive me mad. How can I get past this…?"

Seraphim gave him a gentle good-luck kiss on the forehead. "I forgive you."

His eyes widens, then closed. He relaxed.

Sera started stroking his hair. She could deal with him now.

* * *

Around him, whole species crowded, accusing him of one thing:

Outright murder.

Hollow'd closed his eyes.

"Murderer! Psychopath! Why don't you murder your _girlfriend_!" clamored the mob. "Slay her in front of us!"

The Living Portal opened his eyes again.

Just as he expected, the crowd had disappeared.

Sera stood in front of her. She had gently fallen asleep.

In his mind, the crowd chanted "Murder! Murder! Murder!" faster and faster.

Unconsciously, he held out his right arm.

From it, a conduit spell from inside his arm to the outside.

Using tesseract technology, he contained all of the technomagical weapons he created and mastered.

From his right arm, his willblade appeared.

_"I forgive you."_ he remembered.

The Living Portal pivoted to face back.

A mob grew closer and closer.

"So you're too soft to murder your own _girlfriend_… Mortuus? Well then… let us teach you what **we** suffered!"

Stab by stab, shot by shot, they inflicted grievous wound by wound. They tied him down with weights and master chains.

"What do we do with the girl?" shouted a member.

"Oh. The girl." he sneered. "Well, I guess we can have fun with her. It'll hurt him, at least."

As the mob clamored around innocent Sera, Hollow'd gave off a beastly cry.

The nearest person was lifted in a choked hold by Hollow'd…

…still bound in his chains and with weapons burrowed in him.

"Don't… you dare… to touch her." he hissed.

"Why…? It'll hurt ya-"

"DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT! SHE IS ONE OF FEW THINGS I CARE ABOUT! AND YOU WILL NOT TAKE HER AWAY FROM ME!"

"Well then," the mob sneered. "Why are you so interested in defending people now?"

He whirled about, still carrying his victim in his hand. "YOU'VE TOTURED ME LONG ENOUGH! I AT LEAST MADE YOUR DEATHS FAST! AND SHE REJECTED ME! I'VE BEEN IN THE DEEPEST HELL! I'VE SUFFERED ENOUGH, YA B**TARDS! JUST LEAVE FOREVER!"

The army of his victims hesitated.

They had never seen him angry.

They did not want to know.

"I'VE ALLOWED YOU TO TORTURE ME, TO DRIVE ME MAD, TO DO S*** TO ME! IT ENDS TODAY!"

A chain of electricity from his right arm jumped from victim to victim, forcing them to crumble to the ground.

It was an advanced Taser, designed to subdue the masses.

The rest rushed towards Sera, intent on perpetrating what The Living Portal considered a crime.

Inferno Incarnate woke up and prepared to burn everything in sight.

She was carried off by Hollow'd, bridal style.

"Hollow'd!" she protested, blushing. "What-"

"Facing them off. Thank you." he muttered.

"Get her!" cried the crowd.

Their words were shut off by the sound of arcing electricity.

A man stood around the crumbled masses, visibly frightened by his harrowing experience.

Around him, everyone was unconscious.

Sera prepared a fireball. She was intent on eliminating everyone.

Hollow'd quickly extinguished it with his willpower.

"I'm tired of killing. It has only granted me misery, wisdom for the price of happiness, and power from the tortures it caused me. I don't want that fate on your shoulders." he said.

He 360'd around and said to all. "Be free. Move on to the afterlife."

The plain around him shimmered as his victims passed to a blessed or cursed existence.

"You're warm." she noted as she went to sleep.

The Living Portal carefully placed her on the ground. He lied down next to her, using his arm as a pillow for her.

Then for once he slept peacefully.

* * *

A natural instinct told him it was daytime.

But as any Minecrafter would say, there is no day and night in the Nether.

Still, he felt the urge to wake up.

Hollow'd forced his eyes open to darkness.

A faint beating sound was present, along with warmth.

He blushed. The Living Portal knew it was Sera's warmth.

He also knew where his head was: near her breasts.

"Sera? Do I have to go over this again?" gently asked Hollow'd.

"No!" she yelped.

He could tell she was blushing.

"I- I- didn't know you were awake!" she stammered.

She quickly scooted away, allowing him to see where has was.

The area above bedrock.

The place that wasn't the Void yet.

He quickly got up and helped Sera get up, then politely turned around to let her button up her shirt.

"Hungry?" Hollow'd asked. "We could go out in the Nether."

Inferno Incarnate playfully punched him in the left arm. "I'm gonna just disappear. So… yes."

* * *

Sera and Hollow'd relaxed near the lava ocean, chewing on well-done pork-chops seasoned with sauces that Minecrafters would call potions.

"So sweet." she cried out in pleasure. "Just… loving it."

The Living Portal was smiling each time he bit into the pork. "Brilliant cooking. The pork-chops are nicely paired with Instant Health Potion II. "

They sat together in awkward silence, trying to figure out who should speak first.

"/smite Hollow'd!" shouted Admina.

Thunderbolt by thunderbolt, he caught them.

"Manners, Admina." he chided as he threw all of them at her like a javelin. "As courtesy, look out!"

The bolts flew at her, then stopped in the air. They zipped back… at Sera.

"Tratior!" Shard shouted over the fearful gasps of the Blazes.

Sera took the brunt of the attack and started falling into the ocean.

"/effect immobilize Sera."

Hollow'd looked in horror as Inferno Incarnate plunged into the ocean.

S***, she thought. Out of all the ways to die, I have to drown, in my homeland, which I know like the back of my hand.

She wanted to moved, to claw herself back to the surface.

But her body would not comply. She felt completely numb.

She was fading, dying.

And she was scared of dying. Even though she could come back to life, it was frightening to know how easy it would be to fall into hell…

The last thing she saw before she fell unconscious was Hollow'd, reaching out for her with a look of desperation in front of her.

"Air!" he thought.

He portaled away some lava so he could breathe again.

The Living Portal almost didn't catch Inferno Incarnate.

A platform made of stone appeared beneath him. He gently landed on the artificial floor.

Like a fighter, he focused his will into his hand and severed the connection between Sera and Admina's command.

He was worried about the next part. Getting the lava out of her and preforming CPR.

What would she think about him? That he was a rapist?

He looked up at the lava suspended above him, where Admina and Shard were waiting.

Hollow'd couldn't just leave her where she was.

He started compressions, beat by beat.

Then he forced in air into her lungs.

He continued compressions, until…

… Sera coughed out the lava.

"God… why… what…" said Inferno Incarnate.

"Easy, Calida!" informed The Living Portal. "That was a close one."

From the outside, Admina shouted "/effect Admina FireImmunity; WaterBreathing."

She dove into the lava, and at an angle tackled Hollow'd.

In a chokehold and in the burning lava, he was dying…

…

…

..

.

_"No… must protect… her." _he thought.

…

_Booting up: Source Hollow'd. Updating Roster… Update complete. Initiate Action: incapacitate and defend. Imputing Calculations: Adding Code: Consciousness. Adding Variable: love._

With godly strength he sliced the lava… and the ocean split apart.

"Spell Railgun: Ice Bombs."

From his left arm, an ice spell rocketed towards Admina, leaving an ice trial behind.

The magic speared her, and detonated like a bomb.

= False was frozen in a huge ice crystal, completely immobilized. If it wasn't hot in the Nether, she would have been frozen to the bone. She would have shattered with a touch.

In an instant Hollow'd started up his right arm Tazer. It buzzed menacingly as he lunged towards Shard.

A burst of raw energy emitted from The Living Portal's Tazer as Piecestorm systematically broke Hollow'd bones.

Shard crashed to the ground, paralyzed. His muscles would not respond.

_S***_, he thought. _I'm dead._

He was surprised as Hollow'd limped towards him. His cracked bones were taking its toll on him.

He forced open his mouth, and poured a red potion into his mouth.

"You should be all fine in an hour or so." he said. "Make yourself as relaxed as possible."

A tingling sensation was infecting Piecstorm's body, slowly unfreezing his muscles.

"Don't try, Scidit. You'll make it worse." he chided.

He grunted as Arena directed explosives into his back.

The Living Portal flew up, then stopped in mid-air.

"Stop punching me." he said. "What have I done?"

"Corrupting Sera, our leader." said Drive behind him. He rammed his fist in Hollow'd's back.

He flew into Arena.

_I want to end this, _thought Hollow'd. _But I don't want to play God… guess I'll have to make it quick._

A shockwave of energy rebounded around the Nether. Glowstone deposits shattered to dust.

Ghasts turned around to see to see Death.

In a fluid motion he grabbed both Drive and Arena by the neck.

Final Frontier and Area Mod both struggled in The End's grip.

"Origin Spell: Paralyze."

Both stood still, unable to move.

He quietly spoke to them "I don't know what Sera has been telling you. But I can tell you this: that has changed. Got it?"

Death sensed they were trying to nod.

Carefully he placed them on the mainland, carried Shard and Admina nearby, and finally portaled Sera from the makeshift air-hole he made. Using his willpower he healed up all the injuries.

"Done and forgiven?" he asked.

"No!" snarled Shard and Admina. "You are a traitor, a murderer-"

"And I don't want to be Death anymore." finished Death. "Death is a taker of lives. I do not want to be that person. So please… call me Hollow'd."

* * *

Crashing in the bed was wonderful.

He was shirtless, checking to see if he had any holes in himself that he missed.

Hollow'd didn't notice Sera as she practically flew into him.

"Wha-" asked Hollow'd, blushing slightly.

"Nothing!" she quickly said with blood rushing to her cheeks.

"What's wrong?" he asked gently.

"I- I- I don't have one!" she stammered.

The Living Portal got up and tried to kiss her.

Inferno Incarnate pushed him back down playfully.

"You do not kiss me. I kiss you whenever I choose-"

He laughed happily and hugged her towards him, then kissed her.

Sera melted into it, kissing with a smile. Her six wings fanned out.

Hollow'd wings extended in response, and gently touched her's.

"So am I your boyfriend?" gently asked Hollow'd. He stroked her wings.

Sera didn't answer. She was comfortably asleep in his arms.


	23. Chapter 22: Chilly with a Touch of Evil

Chapter 22: Chilly with a Touch of Evil

_Sniff, sniff. Cough, cough._

"What happened?" asked Hollow'd.

"Sickness… the cold." Sera sniffed.

"That should be easy-" he started.

"NO IT ISN'T!" she wanted to shout.

Instead her voice croaked as she said "It's not that simple… To a Blaze, the common cold is in fact a serious disease. Body temperature goes down… and then my body's immune system starts going haywire. Then I die…"

"NO! I'm not losing you! Let me help!" he protested.

"There's an ancient cure for the cold for Blazes… a dosage of liquid demon fire. But you're not a demon, and even if you used your portal powers, you can't really control it…"

The Living Portal grinned. "Who said I was just an angel? Fallen angels are demons, aren't they?"

His wings folded out, but they were silver dragon's wings. As she watched, a blue fire appeared in his palm.

It solidified, then liquefied. A sphere of blue liquid demonic fire was floating above his hand.

"Done." he said satisfactorily. He portaled a cup into his other hand and carefully poured in the liquid fire.

Sera gratefully took the cup in her hands and took a long drink. She sighed happily.

"Getting better…" she started.

Hollow'd smile turned to concern when she coughed up blood.

"S***!" he said as he tried to comfort her. "What-?"

"It's something else… maybe…" she mumbled.

Hollow'd desperately held her body closer to him, trying to heat up her body. It was getting colder and colder.

"This… evil…" he started. "Could it be me…?"

"No." she weakly protested. "Your 'evil' is practically nonexistent. Though you are a demon/fallen angel, you're still a good person at heart. Why else… would you care about me?"

The Living Portal said nothing as he muttered a spell. A faint gold aura appeared around Inferno Incarnate.

"Countering Light." he muttered. "We'll need to find a cure. Fast."

Swiftly he picked her up, bridal style.

* * *

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" shouted Admina. She peered quickly at Hollow'd, then at Sera in his arms.

"No time to explain! We've got to find a cure!" he quickly said.

"A cure for you!?" she retorted. "I'm not letting that happen to her!"

Inside, Hollow'd was crying in comedic panic.

_S***! Not again… guess I have to do the gauntlet._

On the outside, The Living Portal increased his pace with Inferno Incarnate in her arms.

Just behind him were Shard and Admina, trying to grab onto him just to make him stop.

Conveniently enough, a foot stuck out from the corridor.

At full speed, he tripped straight into the floor. In split seconds he managed to keep Sera off the ground.

Admina and Shard caught him later, shoving him into the wall and forming a protective line between him and her.

"Jeez! I'm impressed." commented Drive as he walked towards Hollow'd. "Now excuse me…"

Roughly he kicked him deeper into the wall, so that The Living Portal was in a bigger mini-cavern.

"Did you think you could just run away with our Sera?" Drive mockingly said.

"How about 'save' rather than 'run away'?" Hollow'd retorted.

In a flurry of punches (and various torture methods), Arena appeared.

"What a pain, Arena. Doing well with-"

He was answered with more flurries of attacks. Everyone sweated slightly.

Her face red, she dragged Hollow'd to his feet. She held him by the throat.

"Don't play tricks with us." she snarled. "You have no business-"

"So you're saying I can't care about someone I loved because I'm a killer." he croaked. "I've changed."

"We'll defer to what Sera says." mockingly responded Admina. "Gravity Amplifer!"

Her fist was inches from his face before someone said "Stop it!" weakly.

Everyone turned around except Admina. She was too busy punching Hollow'd.

"Let… him… help."

Admina threw The Living Portal into the opposite wall, near Sera.

"So you're her bodyguards now." he croaked. "Why?"

"A vendetta we think you have. As a result, Admina's coming with you." replied Shard.

He turned to her. "Good luck." he fondly said as he gave a quick kiss.

Admina squeezed his hand tightly before letting go.

"Alright. Tell me how to cure her." she hissed.

"First, let's get on the road." he replied.

* * *

"At first I thought it was the common cold. That's fatal to Blazes. But this is more like concentrated evil. Like a disease specifically geared against her." he said. "There are two ways to cure her. The first is the one we're going to try, but the second one... you won't like at all."

"So what are we doing?" she asked in a harsh voice.

"Finding a place to refine purifying fire." he said.

They landed in a forest clearing.

"The purifying fire needs to be concentrated more to counteract the effects of the disease. After that, Sera's immune systems should take over again." he said.

He took Sera's hand gently and calmly asked for some purgatory flames.

Her hand burst into flames, pure white and bright.

Carefully he took the flames and placed it into a rubber ball.

"Don't interrupt." he warned. In intense focus he forced energy into the fire."

After what seemed forever, the balloon burst.

A ball of liquid white fire was floating where the ball was. Carefully, he poured it into a cup.

"Open wide, Sera." he said gently.

She opened her mouth and allowed him to pour in the liquid.

Inferno Incarnated felt happiness. So he did change.

Then her joy transformed into despair.

"Dammit! There's only one way left!" he said.

"Wait! No-" Admina said.

Grimly, he placed his mouth over Sera's and started sucking out the darkness.

Admina swiftly slapped him, but it was too late.

"Are you okay!" she speedily asked her.

"Yeah. But what about Hollow'd-?"

Her heart pounded as Hollow'd coughed up a cascade of blood.

"Where… is everyone?"

Sera's irises grew as she realized he was deaf and blind.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" he said in agony.

Admina tugged on Sera's shirt. "Let's go. You're cured-"

"But he's not."

In a state of tears, he cried "WHY!? WHAT HAVE I DONE!? The blood… WHY!?"

Sobbing, he tried to stand up, but fell back down. "Someone… help…"

Quickly Sera took his hand. It was cold as ice.

"Admina! Help me out! Now!" she shouted.

She started carrying him with her shoulder, propping him up so he could walk.

"To HQ!"

* * *

Around Hollow'd was pure darkness shaping into madness.

He watched the people he cared for massacred, again and again.

And each time, he did it, mindlessly, uncontrollably.

_You will never defend those that you love, _taunted a sinister voice. _You are a murderer. You will kill them all in the end._

"No!" he shouted. "I care about them, so why-?"

_It's in your blood. The greatest killing instinct ever developed. You are Death. Reap the earth. _

"And I am Hollow'd! Not a murderer! Benevolent-"

_Evil._

"Good!"

_Yes. Good for killing everything in sight._ _Now, despair._

Ethereally, a voice called out, begging for him to wake up. "Please! Wake up!"

Hollow'd closed his eyes, and became disembodied…

* * *

"WHAT THE-?" shouted Hollow'd, now shirtless. He coughed up more blood.

"It's all right." comforted Sera. "We managed to get you out of there. Sorry to tell you… but this is critical."

"Do you think I would stand by and let you die?" he muttered.

"No." she responded with a smile. "That's what I like about you. You can change."

"But there's this… evil that telling me… embrace my killer instinct. The most developed ever…" he said, shuddering.

"Don't worry." she soothed. " It's fine…"

"NO IT ISN'T!" shouted Admina as she slammed her fist into his stomach.

Hollow'd practically sprayed blood all over the bed. Sera sweated, concerned that Admina was taking her duties a little _too _seriously.

"YOU DARE DO THAT, YOU LITTLE-"

The Living Portal could only respond with a weak cough.

"Hold… my hand." he murmured, before falling unconscious again.

Sera held on it to, desperately trying to warm him up.

* * *

_You will never-_

"SHUT UP. I WILL CHANGE MY FATE!"

_You have nothing to prove that. Since when-_

"WHEN DID YOU MEDDLE IN MY MATTERS?"

_When you tried to save your girlfriend. Now then, kill them all!_

As he watched, all of his friends came back to life.

Again his will, his arms drew his sword and prepared for an overhand blow.

His first victim was Sera herself. She stood there, looking with care at him.

She walked up to him and gave him a hug. "It's fine." she said.

_KILL KILL KILL_

_NO NO NO_

Hollow'd understood. He dropped his sword.

_NOOOOooooo…_

* * *

Shocked, Hollow'd stood up, gasping from his harrowing experience.

"It's… gone…" he said.

Around him, Shard and Admina were looking expectantly. They looked… worried?

"WAKE UP, YOU JERK!"

The Living Portal almost power-slapped Arena. She had shouted right in his ear.

"Since when were you a mermaid?" groaned Hollow'd. "That ultrasonic scream doesn't help matters."

"Since 1004 universes ago." said Drive.

Carelessly, Hollow'd whipped around to the left. He spilled a glass of water on a nearby table.

The droplets hit Arena's leg, and he all of them watched, they became a tail.

"DAMN YOU!" Area Mod burst out.

Hollow'd flew out the bed into the wall. As if to insult him more, the bed he was on smashed into him.

Quietly, he got up.

_It's time to reconcile._

He portaled over to the group.

"Where's Sera?" he asked.

"Outside." they ominously said. "We're here to deal with you."

"And I'm tired of having to deal with you guys trying to kill me. You're going to kill me because I saved her?"

"Yes. For this is part of the Seraphim Gang!" they all shouted.

* * *

_Control. Control is key._

_Power is corrupting. The more I use it, the harder it'll be to control._

_Have I atoned, O Lord in Heaven?_

_Even though I'm not Christian… do you still care about them?_

_Because I don't want blood on their hands._

_Because I care about them, even if they hate me._

_Because they're the only ones I have left._

_Especially Sera._

* * *

Swiftly, his power fully came under his control.

He finally understood his powers.

_I am the path._

_The ending._

_The angel and the demon._

_The way to heaven or hell._

_The decider._

_The one closest to perfection._

_But only God is perfect._

* * *

"Living Portal: Path to Purgatory!" Hollow'd shouted.

The 4 scooted away from him as his power rose up drastically.

"Cataclysm: Infinite Antimatter!"

Around him, a huge explosion erupted from the hospital room, tearing apart the landscape.

Creating a portal straight to a black hole, the explosion force was sucked into the alternate dimension.

He quickly closed it as Arena started singing.

_Shoot! She's bending my will…_

_Sera._

With a roar he broke free of the music and created a shockwave.

The force pushed back the group, now completely surprised at how insanely godlike he was.

"Demon!" shouted Shard. "Come on-"

He was cut off as The Living Portal grabbed him in a chokehold.

"That's right. Not only a fallen angel, but also a demon." he said as he unfolded his silver dragon wings.

Piecestorm was flung into the ground, where he made a huge crater. He couldn't move as Hollow'd kicked him into the head so he was unconscious.

"WHY YOU-"

In mid-air Admina was about to use her Gravity Amplifier.

She heard the satisfying crunch of broken bones.

Hollow'd said, "Watch your arm."

He grabbed her right arm and applied intense pressure to it.

Screams pierced the air as Hollow'd systematically snapped more bones in her right arm.

"Why… are you-"

"To make sure you don't start killing me."

Succumbing to the pain, Admina fainted.

Twisting around, The Living Portal dodged a high-speed punch.

He landed on his right arm and pivoted on it, swiftly catching Drive by the feet and slamming him into the ground.

Arena gave off another sonic shout.

This time, Hollow'd was ready.

He held out hand and pulled.

A small vacuum appeared, sucking in Arena and forcing her to stop screaming.

Hollow'd took advantage of the moment, slamming The Final Frontier's head into Area Mod's.

He stood up, fully awake and annoyed. Sighing, he fully expected to be burned up.

Like a prophet, he was encased in fire.

"HOLLOW'D!? WHAT DID YOU-" shouted Sera.

"Defending myself and trying to not kill them." he said. "As always."

Sera quickly slapped him in the face. "Not an excuse." she growled. "You destroyed HQ!"

Hollow'd sweated slightly. He forgot about that.

"Fine then." he said, mildly annoyed. He couldn't exactly blame her…

"As punishment, go to an alternate dimension. Now!" she shouted.

"How are you going to tell I'm going to one?" he asked.

"I'll go with you. At least it'll be like summer vacation." she said.

"In that case, let's pack."

* * *

"Ready?" Hollow'd asked. He had on his usual black clothes.

"Ready." said Sera. "I've left a note for them telling them not to worry."

"Alright then."

The Living Portal opened a rift to a sunny beach. Both of them walked through.

"The sea, and this… looks like the Seto Island coast!? Don't tell me…" sighed Hollow'd.

"What? What's wrong with it?" asked Sera.

He turned around towards her. "Crossover universe. There are universes for anime, and then there's some for the future. We're in one of them. With mermaids."

"So… which one is it? I don't watch anime." she said.

He closed his eyes. "We're in an anime, which, translated into English, is My Bride is a Mermaid. This is the events after the last episode. So… s***."

"But why-"

"I saw Sun, in mermaid form. The yakuza from under the sea will be coming for us. You know how to swim?"

"Of course. Just not under the sea."

"Hey! You there! We need you to come with us!"

Without looking behind him, Hollow'd said "Let us put away our gear. We'll portal there."

Swiftly he grabbed his and Sera's bag, and placed it in the alternate universe.

He opened a portal into an underwater house.

"Come along." he said. "This should be interesting."

They both jumped into the portal to a room.

* * *

Surrounding them were all yakuza members.

"Jeez." Hollow'd said. "Lighten up: I know the freaking law."

"So we'll have to kill you." ominously said everyone.

"Let Sun do it. Nagasumi can help. As a forewarning, you can't kill me."

Both Sun and Nagasumi got up. Sun unsheathed her sword and masterfully stabbed Hollow'd in the heart.

She expected him to make a mess, spilling blood everywhere.

Instead, Hollow'd yanked out the sword and swiftly sheathed it.

"Any alternatives?" he asked.

His question was drowned out by members, all intent on killing him.

"Guess I'll have to show you all something." he said.

He unfolded his silver wings.

The members stopped in surprise.

"I'm willing to work as a guardian." he said. "Does that work?"

"No!" shouted Nagasumi. "Either you or… Sun has to die."

"If I told you I already knew she was a mermaid, would you still kill me if I didn't give out the secret?" he said.

"Yes, because you know." Nagasumi responded.

"Oh well. Next dimension."

Yakuza members sprung upon him, swarming the area.

Hollow'd used a shockwave to incapacitate them all.

"Relax. I'm not here to cause chaos… unless you make me."

"SHUT UP YOU PUNK-"

Swiftly he uppercutted Sun's father, silencing him.

"Do you accept me and my boyfriend as your guardians?" Sera asked.

"Fine." Sun said. "But we'll have to test you."

"Alright then. Who's first?"


	24. Chapter 23: My Guardian is Death

Chapter 23: My Guardian is Death

* * *

[Initiate: Round 1]

[Hollow'd V.S. Maki.]

* * *

"Just die you SEA LOUSE!" shouted out Maki.

Crying (in humor), Hollow'd said back "But I can't die!"

The rests of his words were cut off as he navigated through a maelstrom of high-powered water droplets.

"Sorry about this, midget." he said.

"I AM NOT A-"

Her words cut off as her cannon shattered. The mechanism and the source were disabled.

"Didn't want to use this power. Remember it each time you call me sea louse, yah mollusk."

Swiftly Hollow'd grabbed her in mid-air. Her sword was a few inches away.

Maki looked deep into his eyes. They were haunting, dark and silent, then bright and cheery, crazy.

Not exactly something you'd expect from a stranger/guardian.

Hollow'd let go of Maki.

* * *

[Round 1 Status: Complete]

[New order: En Masse Fighting]

[Initiate Round 2]

[Seto Yakuza V.S. Hollow'd]

* * *

"Why, Shark!?" Hollow'd shouted as he backflipped onto a yakuza member.

"Just let me-"

Swiftly he shattered all of his teeth and incapacitated him. "I'm the predator! Shark fin soup tonight!" he said.

The Living Portal drew his portal sword and waited for the yakuza members to cut apart their swords.

"You demon-"

"Didn't we go over it?" he asked. "Who's next?"

The answer wasn't long in coming. Nagasumi forcibly punched Hollow'd in the stomach.

The Living Portal grunted and turned off his portal sword, then assumed a combat position.

"Super-Solider: Autonomous Type!" Nagasumi shouted.

With infinite power, Nagasumi smashed him into the wall, causing the area to tremor.

"Sorry about this, but now I have try."

Hollow'd stepped towards him, surrounded in a silver aura.

Both nodded. Their power were around the same.

"I'll have to talk to you about the Song of Heroes later." he said. "For now…"

Hollow'd became a flurry of punches and kicks that Nagasumi could barely dodge.

Smoothly he was flipped over and smashed into the ground.

Likewise, Hollow'd was flipped over as well, landing onto his left arm.

In a fluid flip, he landed and released more power.

The aura was overwhelming. Nagasumi unconsciously started stepping back.

In a flash it was over.

Hollow'd had punched Nagasumi into submission.

"NO! NAGA-" Sun started.

"He's fine." Hollow'd reassured. "Just let him have some rest."

He turned around and was blasted off his feet by Sun's ultrasonic shout.

In midair he saw her sword gliding towards him, straight for his heart.

And then Sera intercepted the blade, melting it as she grabbed it.

"Saved you." she said playfully.

Then she slapped Hollow'd backwards into the ground.

"Don't worry. We'll heal him." she reassured Sun. "Do we pass?"

Sun gave a kind smile. "With flying colors."

* * *

"NO!" shouted Gōzaburō. "I will not allow-"

"Oh you will. Even if you send every member of your group at us, I will still do my job." Hollow'd lazily said. "Besides, I have really nothing else to do."

"Expanding horizons, Sun's father." said Sera.

"THAT'S RIGHT, YOU MANSERVANTS-"

"SHUT UP LUNAR!" burst out Hollow'd.

Lunar promptly shut her mouth. She was not used to people screaming back.

"Well you know what, I'm a celebrity-"

Swiftly Hollow'd grabbed Lunar in a chokehold. "I don't care." he hissed. "Alternate universe stranger. So try cheering up the place. And deal with that attitude."

He let go and allowed Lunar to cower away.

"So, where are we going?"

* * *

"Akeno!"

"Yes captain?"

"I have some serious news from Kyoto, as well as a new mission."

Akeno turned around. "What is it about?"

"We've got another situation about the Seto gang. Sun has been seen in her mermaid form again."

"What!?"

"Two people. A boy and a girl. According to our sources, Sun and Nagasumi have agreed to keep them as guardians."

"What!? It's been 10 years, and now we have another situation!?"

"I'm afraid so. We'll need to get rid of them both. But Kyoto's worried about this…"

"Why? They're just humans."

"I'm afraid it's not that simple. The boy, according to sources, is some kind of fallen angel/demon, with immense power. Do you remember that rescue mission years ago?"

"Yes. Nagasumi used his Song of Heroes powers, didn't he?"

"Correct. The boy stranger defeated him in the Seto outfit's testing."

The captain stopped for a moment as he received information.

"We have their names." he informed Akeno. "They're Hollow'd Mortuus and Seraphim Calida."

"What about the girl stranger- I mean Seraphim?"

"She seems to be an angel also, though we don't know which kind, and apparently has heat-related powers."

"So what's the mission?"

"We need to kill them. I'll send a special request for reinforcements in Kyoto. You will lead that."

"Okay, captain."

The captain transformed into a long snake-like dragon and flew away.

"How vexing." she muttered.

* * *

"Stop setting the pans on fire!" shouted Nagasumi.

"Why?" shouted Hollow'd and Sera, cooking against each other. "It's friendly competition!"

"And this house has been destroyed a lot! I don't want to pay again-"

On the other side of the kitchen, Lunar and Sun sweated slightly. Nagasumi had a point.

"Done!" triumphantly said Hollow'd and Sera.

The smells of their cooking were overpowering. Nagasumi had to make an effort to resist the food.

With a ultrasonic "OH NO YOU DIDN'T!", Lunar decimated the house.

Looking up, Hollow'd said "_Reconstruct._"

The parts of the house knitted back together, replacing the floors and ceilings.

"Try not to do that." he crisply said. "Dinner is ready."

* * *

"Goh Lorde!" said Lunar with her mouth stuffed with food. "Wat iz zees food!?"

"I'm in heaven." happily said Sun.

"The same." responded Nagasumi.

"That distinctive flavor… so good…" quietly said Sera as she sampled Hollow'd's dish.

"Blending of spices and foodstuffs… perfect…" commented Hollow'd, tasting from Sera's dish.

He took his and everyone else's dishes. Sun got up and tried to stop him.

"It's my job to deal with the dishes!" she firmly said.

"No, no, I'll do it." insisted The Living Portal.

A mysterious stoplight turned on, and petals started falling from the air.

_Oh wait a minute… WHAT DID I F***ing doooooooo… too late._

"No." quietly said Sun. "It is my duty to wash the dishes. Because if I didn't, then I wouldn't be a good wife, and that would be a shame to all Seto mermaids! Because honor among thieves… is honor under the sea!"

Hollow'd looked blankly at her. "In that case you can help."

"YAY!" she shouted. She instinctively hugged Hollow'd as if he were a cute stuffed animal.

Everyone else sweated slightly. It was a very awkward moment.

"Get back here you sea-louse so I can kill you again and AGAIN-!" shouted Maki.

_Not again! _thought Hollow'd.

"Why am I the new sea louse?" he groaned.

* * *

_And I thought this was going to be a peaceful afternoon, _thought The Living Portal.

"He's our guardian!" protested Sun.

"No he's mine!" responded Lunar.

In a mental conversation, Hollow'd asked Nagasumi "Did this ever happen to you?"

"Yeah. Sorry about this… forgot to tell you."

Back on the outside, Sera was sweating slightly. It would have been comedic had she not known how dangerous Hollow'd could be.

"Can you both let go him?" she gently asked both of them.

"NO!" they shouted reflexively.

"Please?" Hollow'd begged. "Just why are you two arguing over me?"

"You're the best guardian that I even know! Powerful, cute, and professional!" explained Sun.

"You're mine! You saw my form, so you're my guardian. Besides, you're cute… and I don't like you!" shouted Lunar.

In Lunar's mind, she thought _"Me? Loving a human! Impossible! I'm a celebrity, he's a commoner… but I like him."_

Seconds later she realized he read her mind.

"I guess we'll compromise. "We'll be guardians for both of you, along with Nagasumi."

"Yay!" both said impulsively as they hugged him yet again.

Sera was sweating again, along with Hollow'd, noticing how awkward it was.

"Doesn't college start tomorrow?" he asked. "Let's get ready."

* * *

"WHAAaaa… WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE!?" shouted Mawari. "WHY ARE THERE TWO NEW PEOPLE WITH YOU TODAY!?"

"Our parents are dead. They were good friends with Nagasumi's family, so we arranged to live with them." lied Hollow'd.

The Disciplinary Committee leader didn't pick up on the lie.

"Aww, that's so sad. I'm sorry about that." she sincerely said.

* * *

"First class. We're all in the same classes, and… everyone's here." noted Nagasumi.

"How vexing."

Everyone turned around to face Akeno.

"Who are these guys?" she asked.

"We'll introduce ourselves. It's Hollow'd and Seraphim." said Hollow'd.

Sera punched him in the arm. "I told you to call me Sera!"

He scratched his hair. "Alright, fine."

Almost lazily he dodged a sword strike and caught the blade.

"What is it, Kai?"

"How do you know my name?"

"Sun told me about you." he lied. In reality he read his mind.

"Well if you'll excuse me… Sun! Dump that loser and marry me!" fervently said Kai.

Hollow'd grabbed Kai by the ear and whispered "Don't be stealing other people's wives. Ever heard what happened when Paris stole Helen? Huge war. Don't bother." He let go.

Carelessly he slapped Chimp while he was in mid-air. "What a pain." he said.

* * *

"Hey, you." said a mob. "You Hollow'd?"

"Yes." he carelessly said. "You're the SMTF from Kyoto. Explain to me what's happening, Akeno."

"You know, but why?"

"Trained killer instinct."

"How vexing." she quietly said. "I've received orders to kill you and Sera."

He laughed. "Sorry to say, but you'll have a hard time. Your intel may be good, but they don't know the truth about me and Sera."

Smoothly Akeno drew her blade and let it hover at his throat. "Last words, human?"

"You won't have a sword when this is done. And I'm not human."

Her sword flashed as she thrust it at his neck.

It shattered the instant the point touched his neck.

"What did I say?" he mockingly asked as he spread out his wings. "Just as a precaution…"

A shockwave spread across the area.

"Knockout wave. Everyone on campus is out cold, except those who know about the Merfolk." he said.

Whirling around, he slapped Akeno, making her fly back for a few yards.

"Attack!"

As he patiently waited, the task force shot him repeatedly using water cannon technology. Ragged holes were proof of their power.

As blood cascaded from the wounds, Hollow'd seemed to smile. No, he was smiling.

"Didn't I tell you? I'm not human." he reminded.

Akeno got up and looked around as her team members became frozen.

"Hollow'd! What happened?" asked Sera as she ran next to him.

"Deadly water cannons, that's what." he said.

He blinked, and his left eye turned yellow, like a demonic cat's eye.

"I suppose you expect me to hunt you down. But… at least Kyoto will know who I am. As for your sword… I can fix it."

Grabbing the hilt from Akeno, he focused his will into the grip.

As she watched, the blade shards flew towards him and reformed into a blade. The blade connected to the hilt, and the blade shimmered almost as if it was saying "thank you".

He gave back the sword. "Not an issue?"

Akeno turned around. "Not yet. Kyoto will deal with you."

As The Living Portal and Inferno Incarnate left, Akeno said "How vexing."

* * *

"Guardian!" shouted Sun. She looked as if she would cry. "How… are you… still alive?"

"With those holes, you don't even have a heart anymore!" Nagasumi said. "You are a monster!"

"I can deal with it. I'll heal up myself." he said.

The same spotlight and petals turned on.

_Not again, _he thought. _What is it now?_

Sera was thinking the same thing.

"No. I will do it, because you got hurt defending me. It's a miracle you're still alive, and I intend to keep you that way. This is a debt I must repay, and I don't, it would be a shame to all Seto mermaids. Because honor among thieves… is honor under the sea!" insisted Sun.

The soundtrack derailed as Hollow'd ruined the moment.

"Hold it. First, the attack team from Kyoto was after me and Sera. They weren't trying to get you. Second, it's about time you know the truth about us two. As for the wounds… you can take care of the minor cuts and lacerations. Sera can deal with my holes." he said. "You can help also, Lunar and Nagasumi."

"Phhf! Me, a famous celebrity, take care of a commoner! How audacious!" she mocked.

"You would do it." he said, smiling after she read her mind.

Lunar's jaw dropped after she realized Hollow'd gleaned her true thoughts.

"Everyone else on campus should be waking up now. I'll have to fake the critically injured man."

The Living Portal regenerated enough flesh to get rid of some of the holes, and played the part of a dying man.

"Quick! To the hospital!" Lunar hissed.

"That's funny, hearing you care so much about a 'commoner'." joked Nagasumi.

She gritted her teeth as she helped put Hollow'd on a stretcher.

Mawari stepped out from the corridor and looked at The Living Portal's pitiful appearance. "What… what happened here?" she asked.

Nagasumi answered "He was attacked by some gang members."

"THAT'S A LIE! MAYBE YOU NEED TO BE TAUGHT THE RULES OF SOCIET-"

Hollow'd groaned "Shotguns… knives… gang…"

Mawari stopped her examination and looked carefully at his wounds.

"Oh my-" she gasped. "Wha- how-?"

"He's an excellent swimmer. Told us he survived gang confrontations before." said Sun.

That fact was true. He once managed to swim away from a gang's headquarters while the members took chase with motorboats.

"Get him to the hospital! Now!" Mawari ordered.

* * *

"Mission failed, captain."

"What!? Akeno! I told you to kill him and his companion!"

"Do you remember that intel which said they're not human?"

"Yes!" he hissed. "What does that have to do with this?"

"We've given him around 7 fatal wounds. As far as I know, he's still breathing." explained Akeno.

"What!"

"He's definitely not human. If I were to put it, he's… a sealed god. It's the same with his companion."

"And what makes you say that?"

"I broke my sword trying to kill him. He repaired it for me."

"We sent reinforcements, specially trained in Kyoto, to help you boot both of them out! What happened to them?"

"They're dead. All that's left of them are shards of ice."

"Shoot… I have a new mission for you. Monitor them both."

"Yes, captain."

As he left, Akeno said again "How vexing."

* * *

"Hey, Nagasumi!" shouted Chimp. "Who's that hot chick?"

"Oh, her?" responded Nagasumi. "It's Seraphim. Though she prefers Sera."

"She's an angel on earth! Impossible… she rivals Lunar, Sun, and Akeno! Her bust size is phenomenal! It's perfect! It's too much! I'm overloading, and my circuitry is going on a nuclear meltdown!" reported Chimp dreamily. Smoke puffed out of his ears and nose.

He sprang up and pounced towards her. "I MUST HAVE THOSE-"

Quickly, Nagasumi slammed him into the ground. "DON'T EVEN BOTHER!"

Sera turned around. "I was about to say the same thing." she said with a knowing smile. "As for the angel part… you don't know how true that is."

* * *

"Sun? Lunar? Explain to me what's happening outside, with those factions. Now." Hollow'd asked.

"It's another school faction war over who's the cutest. Apparently it just started." said Sun. "Oddly enough, there's a new group on campus."

"I knew this would happen. It's the Seraphim Faction, isn't it?"

"Yeah… this happened before, ten years ago. And I won-" boasted Lunar.

"If I remember correctly, either Sun won or you both tied." he insisted. "The Disciplinary Committee will be after me… considering I have ties to all 3 of you."

"You're dead then." commented Nagasumi as he was walking in. "The last time it happened, the whole school became… shall we say something we cannot broadcast?"

Both of the boys noticed the tension between Sun and Lunar.

"Quit it!" he ordered as he got up from the hospital bed. The strain from his internal injuries caused him to cough up blood.

"Hollow'd!" they both said as they rushed to support him.

"2 mermaids could mess up a whole audience, right?" he asked.

Both of the mermaids nodded.

"Think what will happen when an angel is added… everyone in the audience would be left to God… they might not come out of the place in their right mind." he said. "We've got to prevent that."

"Think I could help?" Nagasumi asked.

"I need you to guard Sun. I can guard Lunar. As for Sera… she's slightly weaker than me, which means… if she's not careful at full power she can level a city. She can defend herself." Hollow'd grimly said.

Sun laughed easily and gave Nagasumi a quick kiss. "We'll be together forever, at least."

"Ha! Me, a celebrity, be protected by a commoner-" again mocked Lunar.

"It's a professional guardian that could level the whole place without trying." The Living Portal reminded.

* * *

"Maki! What is it?" hurriedly asked Sun.

"Lunar double-crossed us! She attacked me, gave me some cuts and a headache."

_Not again… where have I seen this before…, _thought Nagasumi.

"Again!?" he asked. "We'll have to retaliate. Have you called the Seto outfit?"

* * *

"Excellent." said Lunar. "Everything is going as planned. After 10 years, we shall reign!"

In her mind, she thought "We will have revenge 10 years after you've humiliated us, with our song. We will win. You, Sun, have no idea of how much we have improved. No, mastered the art of singing. We are invincible, and you shall know it."

She cackled evilly.

* * *

"Hollow'd! You're still injured-" said Mawari.

"Since when did you care about me? Right now I have a war to stop." he said as he rose from the hospital bed.

"Those three sides will crush you! The Disciplinary-"

"I know how to fight. I can deal with this. As for this war, it's up to me to stop this madness. There's only one peaceful way…"

"What? Arrest everyone in the freaking school?"

"No. Another singoff contest, just like 10 years ago. Don't interfere. It'll be madness all over again." he said.

Mawari knew what she was talking about. The incident 10 years ago ravaged every male student.

He stood up and started walking to the auditorium, with blood trickling out of his mouth.


	25. Chapter 24: Song of War, Take 3

Chapter 24: Song of War, Take 3

On the battlefield where the ruins of a college stand… is war.

Swarming the field are the Sun and Lunar faction, duking it out with the Seraphim Faction.

Their primary target is Hollow'd, the only one who hasn't chosen between the three, and the only one alone.

The only one all three girls are interested in.

"Now, young one, a storm is coming-"

"SHUT UP, PERVY SAGE CHIMP! I KNOW IT'S COMING, LITERALLY AND FIGURTIVELY. NOW GET DOWN OR BE STRUCK DOWN BY A THUNDERBOLT… in three seconds."

Chimp stood his guard… and waited patiently until he was struck by the predicted bolt.

"You… young one…"

"No, much older than you. I know what to do. A concert… I knew that had to happen."

"You are wiser than me, old one."

"Perhaps it's because you stare at women too much, at the wrong time and place."

Using his staff, Pervy Sage Chimp shakily got up. "Go on, young one-"

"It's Hollow'd. And I'm much older than you." The Living Portal said. "Come along. This plan might work… considering what I would do."

* * *

"Another singing contest?" all three girls said. They were on top of a lonely hill.

"If you don't want the area demolished, yes. A triple singing contest is the only way." said Hollow'd.

Reflexively he struck down Chimp besides him before discussing it with them.

"Can't you make peace? This is a disaster zone." he asked.

"No, Hollow'd!" insisted Lunar. "This is for pride! We never settled who won that battle a decade ago."

He turned towards Sera. "Can't you stop this?"

"I've tried, but the best choice is to sing along, maybe convince them to not fight anymore." explained Sera.

"Sun! Do you have any idea what will happen!?" begged Nagasumi as he jogged towards her.

"No. I forgot." she said.

"So did I." said Lunar.

Everyone sweated slightly. Already it was an issue.

"Let me explain." started Hollow'd. "Mermaid voices are very potent, and practically every male in the audience will be affected. That's why Lunar makes top music albums. Correct?"

The mermaids nodded.

"Adding in another merfolk voice started up a war, basically made it so the audience couldn't be broadcast. Lunar's Song of War didn't help."

Involuntarily, Lunar nodded.

"Sera already knows this next part, and it's this: angel singing voices are very beautiful, perhaps rivaling mermaid voices. While it may not have magic behind it, it is basically pure… and humans will go crazy for it."

He let silence fall to let everyone realize what would happen.

"So what does this all add up to?" asked Sun.

"If all three of you sung the same song, starting at the same point, I'd say we'd have a Code Red. Basically sing together, and you might drive every male in the area permanently insane. I can heal it, but it's better not to lose it in the first place." he concluded.

Hollow'd turned to Nagasumi. "You, however, should be immune to it. You have extreme vocal resistance."

Turning around, Hollow'd began to leave. "Are you singing?"

"Yes!" shouted Sun and Lunar. Sera looked down in defeat.

The same spotlights and petals turned on again.

_Not again… _thought Hollow'd.

"Lunar hurt Maki! If I don't avenge that, it'll be a shame to all Seto Mermaids! Because honor among thieves… is honor under the sea!" insisted Sun.

"We have a bone to pick with Sun. Revenge for that defeat 10 years ago!" shouted Lunar.

Hollow'd pivoted on his right foot and turned around again.

"First, this is overland. Second, college students are not thieves, nor yakuza. And finally, I hope this doesn't get out of hand."

Dragging Chimp and Nagasumi with him, he looked back.

"Sing the same song 10 years ago. Your Gravitation. Give the lyrics to Sera and teach her the choreography if you want a fair competition. That way, at least you can really say you've won." he said before he portaled back to the campus entrance.

He sat on the dying, yellow grass, looking at the clouds.

"What a pain." he finally said.

On that lonely hill, Sera said exactly the same words.

* * *

"Yes, yes, another concert to be remembered! Just like 10 years ago!" dreamily said Lunar's manager.

"The media and paparazzi will be here, I suppose." Lunar said.

Overhead on the speaker, the announcer spoke "The concert will start in 15 minutes.

* * *

"Good. The Seto gang is here." said Nagasumi.

"Hey, Nagasumi? Can I eat the guy next to you?"

"No, Shark Fujishiro. This is Hollow'd, Sun's guardian."

"So, little b****d, what are you gonna do, punk?" said Sun's father.

"Stop this madness. You know what happened ten years ago. It'll be a hell lot more worse now."

"And why so?" asked Masa.

Hollow'd grimaced. "Angel voice. Humans love the pure voice. In fact, since I know Sera's a natural singer… humans would go crazy for it. As a side-note, Nagasumi, you should be able to resist her singing."

The speakers blared "Welcome to this special triple singing contest. It's Sun, Lunar, and Seraphim, all pitted against each other for who is the best singer."

Flooding the audience seats were the Sun, Lunar, and Seraphim factions.

Nagasumi whistled. "That's a lot of people to deal with. Not to mention their weapons. What about the Disciplinary Committee?"

"They won't be getting in here. Mawari learned that lesson 10 years ago." responded Hollow'd.

The three girls stepped onto the stage, with their headsets ready.

Your Gravitation started playing, and the singing began.

* * *

Memories.

Hollow'd remembered his cousin.

That cousin was Malus.

_Cus! Come on, play some paintball with me!_

_Let's hunt down some squirrels!_

_Sorry, man! Didn't mean to shoot you in the nuts!_

_Hold it! Let me get you out of that trap!_

_Dammit, cousin, _thought Hollow'd. _Why did you have to be my enemy? You used to be a great person, now you're practically the focal point of evil._

_What sin are you going to do next?_

_Because if you are, don't do the ultimate one. _

_Because I've already done it, and look how it ended up for me. The origin of my curse: to be rejected by those I love and protect._

_Whatever you do, Malus, don't play God. That is the ultimate sin, and you'll never be forgiven because of it._

_Never._

_Ever._

_Play God._

* * *

_When you close your eyes_

_The constellations start to dance_

_The dream calls for it to continue, good luck_

Cheers rocked the auditorium as the factions cherished each of their idol's singing.

"Sounding bad already, no pun intended?" asked Hollow'd.

"Yeah. I can see why you're worked up on this." Sun's father admitted. "Even I'm lured by your girlfriend's singing. That pure voice… it's true."

"Technically she's not my girlfriend, but a constant companion." Hollow'd pointed out. "We're getting to the dating part."

"I could offer some tips on that." suavely said Masa.

"Sorry man, but I got it." Hollow'd said.

Masa put his head down, with the kanji and English for "Rejected Style" above him.

Nagasumi watched the concert intently, muttering "It's getting worse."

_My remaining time_

_Started to sing_

_Treasure your precious things, good luck_

_Don't forget to keep believing_

_I love your true self, it's alright_

Hacking away, Hollow'd vomited up some blood.

"Dammit… this music isn't working so well with the injuries I have right now."

The factions were still cheering away, some desperately trying to get to the three girls.

"Nagasumi! On the defensive!" muttered Hollow'd.

Nagasumi got the point.

The Living Portal, along with Nagasumi, jumped from their balcony seats onto the stage.

_These overflowing feelings, my shining eyes_

_You change_

_Ah~ all of my paths_

Swarming from the seats were the factions, all extremely pissed that two people just blocked their view.

"For Sun!"

"No, for Lunar!"

"No, for Seraphim!"

Hollow'd immediately facepalmed himself. "Stay back." he said.

Powering on his right arm Arc Tazer, he nearly electrocuted every member to death.

"Overkill, man." Nagasumi said.

_I make a wish to the shooting stars_

_We are just like the constellations_

_Always connected_

_Shining Shining Moonlight_

_Whenever I'm happy_

_I think about you_

_Every minute and second_

_I want to be with you, Your Gravitation_

Pulling off a soaring 360 kick, Nagasumi noted "The audience… it's spazzing out!"

"S***. It's much worse than I thought…" muttered Hollow'd. "I hope Lunar doesn't sing the Song of War again…"

"They're ours!" shouted the whole audience.

_No matter where I am, even if we're separated_

_It will reach you, Your Gravitation_

The singing stopped, and no one clapped.

They had all gone mad.

"Look what you did with the audience!" shouted Lunar, aiming her voice at Sun.

"Not my fault. We knew this would happen again. If anything, it's Sera's fault." retorted Sun.

"But you two were the one that wanted to sing. You are the reason we even had this concert in the first place!" replied Sera.

"That's it!" stormed Lunar.

She started "Open your mind! Listen up to the Song of War, Take 3!"

Everyone on stage sweated slightly.

"Oh hell no." went off Hollow'd.

_Come and stand with me_

_Awaken from your sleep_

_Rise up!_

_Let your rage reign free_

_Let you hatred be_

_Rise up…_

"And it's going to be a bloodbath." finished Lunar's manager.

"S***. Not again."

"Sun! Stand by Nagasumi!"

"Got it, guardian! What are you going to do?"

"Use the fastest option. Become OP." he grimly said. "We can't let this leak out to the rest of the world."

"True…" said Sera. "Just please… be careful."

Gently she grabbed his hands and grasped them tightly. A sign of hope and love.

"Got it." he said gently.

Removing his hand from her grasp, he floated up to the dead center of the auditorium.

He closed his eyes as he slowly boosted his power.

To the human audience, his aura and presence skyrocketed up unbearably. Some members of it fell unconscious immediately.

"DEMON AHEAD! FIRE AT WILL!" shouted the faction members.

Their next order was cut off as Hollow'd used his Arc Tazer to knock the armies out.

"What did I say about the Song of War?" he expectantly said at Lunar. He flapped down onto the stage.

Lunar instinctively burrowed herself into Hollow'd so that she could hide her tears.

"I'm… so… sorry…" she cried out.

The Living Portal kindly hugged her. "It's alright. Just don't use it like this ever again."

* * *

"Nagasumi! Get rid of this guy! I appreciate the extra daughter, but not a son!" shouted Nagasumi's father.

"He's our guardian!" Nagasumi said.

"That's it, son!" said Nagasumi's father. He used his legendary left hook on Hollow'd's face.

He was rewarded with a broken left hand.

"WHAT THE HECK IS HAPPENIN-"

"Torture. That didn't hurt." The Living Portal easily said. "Don't worry, we won't be here forever."

* * *

"Slow down!" shouted Sun. "There's no need to-"

"BUT WE'RE COMPETING FOR BEST FOOD!" shouted Hollow'd and Sera, now engaged in an all-out cooking match.

Fires erupted from their pans as they swiftly added oils and spices.

Nagasumi sweated again. He knew what would happen.

"Done!" both said at the same time. They glared at each other.

Sera slapped Hollow'd again. "Stop finishing at the same time as me!"

Groggily he got up and carried both dishes to the table.

"Spiced Lean Beef with Seasonal Vegetables and Lamb Kabobs with Greens and Spices is served." he said.

Again, the aroma was overpowering.

"What are you waiting for!? Eat!" said Sera.

Lunar stood up. "Um… can you teach me how to cook?" she politely said.

Nagasumi didn't expect that.

Hollow'd smiled and patted her head. "Eat first. Then Sera and I can help."

* * *

"The stars, eh?" The Living Portal said. "Now that I think about it, I haven't been listening to them much."

He was lying on a nearby hill with Sera.

"There's Ursa Major, Orion, Leo, so many. I've forgotten." he said. "There are two things I want to tell you, during this peaceful moment."

Sear snuggled closer to him. "Go on."

"First… Malus is my cousin."

Sera got up in shock. "WHAT!?"

"He's my cousin, also Origin and Source, but he's a distinctive demon, unlike me."

"Who was the better of you two then?" she asked.

"I was actually the meaner one from birth. Remember that killer instinct I told you about? He was much kinder. But after that experiment, he became bitter, and we changed roles." Hollow'd said. "I think that inside, I was kind, but he was… just heartless."

"I can believe that." she said as she hugged Hollow'd on his right side.

"The second thing is… I have a younger brother. 2 years my junior."

Seraphim hugged him tighter. "Is he still alive?"

"Actually, yes. He was part of the GENES1S Project."

"Never heard of it." she admitted.

"His name was Kronos. Kronos Mortuus. Subject -01, The Chronomaster. And-" he said.

"Talk'in about me, aren't you?" said a voice behind them both.

Instantly Hollow'd got up and looked at another man.

He had white hair, styled the same as Hollow'd, but his cheerful eyes were rainbow colored. Slightly shorter than Hollow'd, but with a close build and the same kindness The Living Portal had, Sera definitely believed Kronos was his younger sibling.

"Who's that by you?" was the first thing The Chronomaster asked.

"Her name's Sera, short for Seraphim. Now excuse me…" The Living Portal said.

He grabbed behind him and forced a beautiful elf to appear.

"Don't try to backstab me." he chided. "Did my brother never tell you about me?"

"No." she curtly admitted.

At around the same height as Kronos, but with green hair and blue eyes, she looked like an elfish ninja. Which in fact she was.

Hollow'd closed his eyes. "You're River Mahogany, Subject -02, True Stealth."

His face met her fist as she brutally punched him.

Instantly he grabbed her arm and flipped her over.

She looked up to the sight of Hollow'd Willblade emitting from his right arm.

"Deal with it." he tersely said.

He withdrew the blade and helped her to her feet.

"Hungry? We've got lodging you can share." Sera said.

"A bed would be nice." River said.


	26. Chapter 25: Dead no More

Chapter 25: Dead No More

"How many people are you bringing in?" sighed Nagasumi. The whole group was sitting in the living room.

"Actually, that's it. Just 2." said Hollow'd. He was sitting on the ground with Sera.

"Besides, Kronos is Hollow'd's brother, so we can't really refuse, can we?" said Sera. She punched The Living Portal's arm.

"Nope." he said. He took out some headphones and listened to something.

"What is it?" asked Lunar.

"Your Gravitation. The one you girls sang a few days ago. This is the only version out there, and I'm not show the world, am I?"

"But they recorded that!" panicked Nagasumi. "It's on the internet now!"

"Almost everyone was knocked out by our singing… so he has the only version!" thoughtfully said Sun.

Chaos rose up as the group desperately chased Hollow'd around the house.

"S***! Not again!" shouted The Living Portal as he ran on the walls.

His ploy failed as he ran into River.

Shoving him into the ground, she pinned both hands behind his back.

"And I forgot to say… it's just Sera singing." he said in a muffled voice.

River smacked him in the head. "Say that first next time!" she curtly said.

She unpinned his hands and allowed both Sun and Lunar to unleash their sonic screams.

As Hollow'd flew away into the wall, he shouted "Why am I always the one getting hurt!?"

Everyone sweated. He had a good point.

* * *

"What a lazy day." Hollow'd commented. A pile of essays and homework lay finished at his desk.

He yawned, then looked out into the night.

"Another day. At least it's new." he commented.

The Living Portal lumbered his way to his makeshift bed. Using two blankets and a pillow, it suited all of his needs.

Lying down onto the bed, he thought about his day. As a daily routine, he took off his shirt to check for any miscellaneous wounds.

Chaotic was an accurate definition of the daylight hours.

And the day still had a surprise for him.

As he dosed off, he felt familiar warmth spreading around him.

Spreading out his silver archangel wings (unconsciously), he sat up.

"Just be yourself, it's alright." Sera said. She was lying on top of Hollow'd, looking down at him.

"You change all of my paths, don't you?" he gently said. He blinked, and revealed his true silver eyes with a blush.

"Yes." she said happily as she spread out her 6 golden seraph wings. She pinned him down to the bed and snuggled closer to him.

Instinctively The Living Portal hugged Inferno Incarnate. "You smell like incense." he said. "Smells like vanilla."

Sera's body temperature spiked up, and Hollow'd knew Sera was blushing intensely.

"You're sweet." she said. "All you smell like to me is home."

"Isn't that where everyone wants to go back to?" he asked.

Sera nodded, then gently kissed him.

"Yeah." she gently said.

"Just asking… do you love me?" he said, expecting the worst.

"NO NO NO NO NO!" she denied, swiftly getting back up and running out of his room.

He shrugged humorlessly, sighed, and went to sleep.

"Damn curse." he muttered.

As he slept, Sera turned off the lights. She kneeled by him and kissed him deeply.

He didn't stir.

"I'm… sorry. I truly love you." she whispered.

Sera took something out of her pocket. It was the fire pearl necklace Hollow'd had found and given back to her.

She gently placed it in Hollow'd's hand, and smiled sadly.

"They threatened to kill you… and I want to see you again. Alive." she whispered. "I'm… sorry. If you're listening, I'm doing this out of love."

She wiped a tear away before leaving the room.

"Good…bye." she muttered.

* * *

_Blink, blink._

_I can't stop crying._

Hollow'd got up, feeling his forehead. He knew the time: 6:30 AM.

_A look into the future. There is one… _

Something round was in his right hand. He opened it.

It was Sera's fire pearl necklace. A note was attached.

His blood froze. He hoped what he divined in his dreams didn't happen.

Snatching the note, he unfolded it and quickly devoured the words.

"Hollow'd, I'm so sorry, but I'm doing this for you. Kronos and River were under the control of some guy called Yoshiuo. They threatened to repeatedly kill you unless I went with them. They gave me one day to say my goodbyes. I might never see you again." he read, his eyes growing with each word.

"Love, Sera." he finished.

_That dream… it's true._

And once again, he cried bitterly and mournfully.

* * *

_This dream… where am I?_

_It smells of the ocean._

_Kai and Nagasumi. They're captured._

_Who's that guy? Wait, that's Yoshiuo._

_So this is Yoshiuo's palace? I thought his status as a noble was stripped away!_

_Oh god no! Sun and Lunar… even Akeno? They're chained up._

_Even the yakuza families are bound up. They'll never manage to break through those metal walls._

_So I'm the only one left, there to crash his party, defeat everyone, and get back Sera._

_Let's get going._

* * *

Security was watching the screens, checking if anyone was breaching the walls. They learned from 10 years ago.

"Security's still sitting on its butt, isn't that right?"

A mysterious portal was dead center of the area.

And Hollow'd was there, waiting for them to make their move.

"Don't mind me." he clearly said as he decapitated the controls.

One lucky guard managed to press the red emergency button.

"Go on. I think you guys already know I'm here."

* * *

"Why's that alarm going off? Kai's army?" asked Lunar.

"Can't be." said Sun. "Kai was captured with Nagasumi. It can't be Seraphim, either."

"Where is she?" asked Lunar.

"Stuck in a deluxe jail, AKA his personal room." said Sun.

A silence fell over the group as they heard spells being shouted out and explosions getting closer and closer…

"There's only one person I can think of that can single-handedly storm this castle." explained Akeno. "It's Hollow'd, no doubt."

* * *

_S***, where is she?_

He shot his Spell Gatling Railgun: Elemental at the teeming mass of Yoshiuo's personal army.

_Yoshiuo probably authorized Kronos and River to use full power. That explains the feeling of power pressing down on me…_

Instinctively he rolled forward as a poisoned blade arced for his head.

He began a series of dodges, avoiding River's deadly katana.

Drawing his Willblade, he started parrying the blade, surprising River. He was a master swordman.

In short notice he twisted her blade away from her, disarming her with a "CLANG!".

Immediately she aimed her fingers at his chest area and preformed The Death Touch.

Excruciating pain rocked his body. He would die… if he didn't have resolve.

"Booting up: Source Hollow'd. Updating roster… update complete. Objectives set: terminate. Adding variable: love; resolve; consciousness."

His right arm became spiked, then armored.

The plates began spreading like an infection, covering up Hollow'd's battered body.

River tried to remove the armor. She failed miserably.

"What the-?" she started.

She stopped as Hollow'd unloaded his weapons on her.

The whole palace rocked from the weapons he had developed.

"Spell Gatling Railgun: Overdrive Elemental." he said emotionlessly.

All sorts of spells shot out from his arms, ripping through her body.

In mere seconds it was over.

Kronos shouted "Kingdom Come!"

Intense amounts of pure energy rocketed at Hollow'd, crashing into him and forcing his armor to shatter.

Both River and Hollow'd coughed up blood.

"Shutting down: Source Hollow'd."

He forced himself out of his mechanized mode and engaged in combat with Kronos.

He never got to.

"Shock."

And time stood still.

_S***, this isn't good…_

Kronos charged his next attack. "Chronomastery: Paradox Fantasias!"

He lunged at The Living Portal and pierced his heart.

Intense pain flashed throughout him, as the pain of alternate universes infected him.

It was this pain he was unused to, the pain of the people around him.

"Reality." said The Chronomaster.

Hollow'd could move again.

He merely collapsed in defeat.

"River! You okay?" asked Kronos, completely oblivious that his brother was bleeding out, dying next to him.

_Forced betrayal._

* * *

"Look what I've caught today." whistled Yoshiuo. "Wasn't expect'in you to crash this party."

"You know why. Sera." responded Hollow'd. "I came to get her back."

"No need. If you swear to turn back and not get her, I'll let you go free. I'ma kind guy, ya see." said Yoshiuo.

"And then with my back turned you'd kill me in an instant." said Hollow'd. "I'm not leaving, and you know it."

Swiftly he was kicked roughly in the stomach. That force was augmented by the newfound evil in Yoshiuo.

The Living Portal sprayed blood around him. "Now what?" he gasped. "Chain me up under the eye of Kronos and River?"

"How'd ya guess? Anyways it's about time. I'll have fun with Sera, even if she's your leftovers."

"Good job, rapist." Hollow'd sarcastically said.

Kronos smashed him in the ribs, and he sprayed more blood over the area. It was cascading from his mouth.

"Catch ya later, Mortuus. I'll be have'n some fun with her."

He walked away with a swagger. "Go on, beat him up."

River and Kronos resumed their extensive torture and beatings.

_This is not the end, Yoshiuo._

* * *

"The vibrations stopped." reported Akeno. "I guess Hollow'd failed."

A loud "DAMN YOU B******!" escaped the dungeons.

"Shoot… we're dead." said Lunar. "If only-"

"SHUT UP, DAMN MERMAID!" shouted a guard.

"I hope he'll come to his senses. I hope…" mused Sun.

* * *

_There's only one way to get out. Both of them are at full power. _

_I'm afraid I might have to use Code: Overdrive._

A voice appeared in his head. _Claim your powers. Become Death._

_Why? I'm not a killer._

_Yes, you are the greatest._

_But then I play god._

_You ARE Death. _

_No. I'm tired of that. From now on, my past self does not define me!_

* * *

"Come'on, I'm getting bored!" sarcastically said River.

Hollow'd got up, and swayed unsteadily on his feet.

"Better." he muttered.

She promptly twisted his arm behind his back.

"Again, please?" she cackled evilly.

A huge shockwave rocked the area, forcing River away.

Hollow'd closed his eyes.

The chains that bound him turned into dust, and even the dust disappeared.

He opened them again, and they were a dark silver color.

Taking off his jacket, he examined his clothing. His shirt was in tatters, but his sports pants were still usable.

Tying the jacket securely around his waist, he spread his archangel wings out, now also dark silver.

Effortlessly he intercepted River's kick.

"My name is not Death." he resolutely said. "It's Hollow'd."

* * *

"Do you feel that?" asked Akeno.

"It's Hollow'd." hopefully said Sun.

Lunar shook her head. "There's two of them, just as powerful. It can't be him."

A huge tremor shook the area.

"What-" they all started.

A huge gash smashed into existence, and River flew out of it. She hit the wall with enough brute force that they all the sickening "CRACK!". A brutal concussion.

Hollow'd stepped out the hole, shirtless and with wings extended.

"We've got a mission: get back Sera. Make Yoshiuo pay. Up to it?" he briefed.

"Just get us out of here, punk!" shouted Sun's father.

He walked towards the door into the grand hall.

Kai and Nagasumi intercepted him.

As he rushed by, the jails simply dissolved. Everyone was out by the time Hollow'd removed the evil from both of their heads.

"Sun!" happily said Nagasumi.

"Nagasumi!" she gratefully said. Gracefully (a first), she snuggled closely with him and gave him a tender kiss.

"I thought you were long gone." she said, wiping away a tear.

"Well, I'm back." he gratefully said.

The Living Portal coughed to get their attention.

"Army up ahead. Ready?"

Everyone nodded.

Hollow'd stared at the gigantic door, and ripped it off its hinges.

* * *

"Damn she's hot!" said another noble. "How'd ya find her?"

"Saw her. Reminds me of Sun, but with a hell more drive." said Yoshiuo. "Her name's Seraphim, but she insisted on Sera. Sound's cuter that way, maybe sexier."

"You've got it."

Yoshiuo looked over a friend's head to see Hollow'd.

"How'd you get you here man? It ain't cool to go shirtless ya know." he leisurely said.

"Why do you do it then?" asked Hollow'd. "To get the ladies swarming for you?"

"You've got it. However, I've gotta say… not cool. Trashing up my place-"

"Your fault. You decided to jail me up. It's only natural for me to get out." Hollow'd said.

"Do you mind?" he lazily said.

Yoshiuo whipped out his phone. "Yeah… we have a slight problem… security's lax and I need you guys here."

He ended the call and watched as Kronos tackled Hollow'd off the balcony.

Both started a deadlock as they dropped into the masses of guests.

"Chronomastery: Paradox Fantasias!" shouted Kronos again.

Intense pain gripped Hollow'd again as both his future and past selves were confusingly tortured.

It immediately stopped.

In a mere second it was over.

Kronos never saw his brother's right hand stab into his heart.

He collapsed in The Living Portal's arms as he set him down gently.

Hollow'd searched around. Yoshiuo was walking away, to his private rooms.

_Where Sera is, _he thought.

He shot a few lasers at Yoshiuo's army, then pursued him.

* * *

_What was that tremor? _thought Sera.

She was comfortably seated on the bed in a big locked up room.

_I'm sorry Hollow'd. _

The door burst open as Yoshiuo kicked it open.

"Babe, let's have some fun." he stylishly said.

He ripped off her shirt.

_S***, he's going to rape me!_

"Oh no you didn-"

Yoshiuo slapped her to daze her.

Like a beast, he continued to take off her clothes.

_…Hollow'd… I might never see you again, _she thought.

A few seconds later, Sera was stark naked. In a futile attempt she tried to cover up her private parts.

Yoshiuo took off his jacket, ready to have his way.

He reached out for her with his left arm.

Yoshiuo never touched her.

In a violent motion Hollow'd tore off his arm.

In a bellow of pain Yoshiuo whipped around and tried to kick him.

Hollow'd caught the leg easily and shattered it.

As shock started to set in, Yoshiuo realized he was completely outclassed.

In a desperate answer, he forced his right fist towards his chest.

Leisurely grabbing it, Hollow'd forced him to the ground. He sunk his right hand into his back, then yanked skyward.

Sera gasped in shock as The Living Portal ripped out the noble's spine.

Cruelly, Hollow'd lifted Yoshiuo by the neck.

"Tell me who gave you that damned power." he hissed.

"And… why… should… I?" labored Yoshiuo, fear in his eyes.

"I can give you a painkiller if you talk." Hollow'd bargained.

For a moment Yoshiuo considered, then nodded.

"A… human. Name… Sam… Lu?" answered the noble.

The Living Portal nodded as he injected a green liquid into Yoshiuo's body. Violently, with his left hand, he ripped off the noble's head.

The body went ragdoll when it hit the ground.

Unexpectedly, Hollow'd shouted "MALUS!"

The celling crumbled, then vanished.

Overhead was the sky, rosy and purple. It was sunrise.

Tiredly he walked towards Sera. "Okay?"

She nodded. There was nothing she could say, after witnessing that brutal kill.

"Go on, hate me. I'm a killer, and you know it." he gloomily said. He closed his eyes, listening to the familiar voice of his old self, Death.

_Claim your right. Become Death._

That familiar warmth enveloped him again.

Sera was hugged him, crying with joy. Her six golden wings were extended.

"Thank… you." she started, clearly at a loss at words. She didn't know how to comfort him.

"But why?" he asked. "I failed to protect you, I killed, and now you say 'it's okay'? The world doesn't work that way, and you know it."

"It's not killing if it's for a cause. You did all of this… for me. You went through hell to find me." she said.

Hollow'd gently disengaged from her, and turned away.

_No. I've lost him. No… No… NO!_

"Come back!" Sera begged. She caught his right arm.

He turned around, sorrow in his eyes. "How can I live with myself for what I've done?"

He started crying.

Snuggling close to Hollow'd, Sera said "You're my guardian angel. I… don't think I could ever have a better boyfriend than you."

His eyes widened. "So-"

"I love you." she said, the words flowing naturally and easily.

She had tried to deny these feelings until that night she left him.

_I didn't want to leave him… I knew it was wrong when I gave that kiss goodbye._

"I want to be with you… for eternity. I never want to be separated… from you again. I want… a future with you. Please… do you love me?" she begged.

Hollow'd smiled. A rare, true, happy smile.

"Yeah. That's exactly what I wished for." he answered.

Tenderly he kissed Sera, hugging her tighter to his heart.

Sera melted into it, happy that she had a better future.

"Look up." Hollow'd whispered. "A new day. When the sun goes up, something new is afoot. Now please, put on your clothes."

Sera, hot with embarrassment, suddenly searched his pocket, and took out her fire pearl necklace. She had remade it to suit Hollow'd, with a more homemade, natural look. She placed it around his neck, then told him to turn around.

* * *

"HOLD IT!" shouted Mawari. "NO SHOWING ROMATIC-"

"Wait a minute." said Hollow'd. Sera was holding hands with him. "It's okay to show one's love by holding hands or giving a kiss on the cheek in a secluded place. You're confusing that with full-on kissing, which is official recognized as not appropriate."

Mawari opened her mouth, then closed it. She hadn't learned that rule yet.

"We can teach each other important values." said Sera.

"And so, now you know." said The Living Portal.

* * *

A bell rang. "Hollow'd Mortuus, please report to the clinic."

"What now?" he sighed.

"I need to test something on you." admitted Ren Seto.

"Go on." responded Hollow'd. "It's the popularity serum?"

"I've diluted it so that Nagasumi can use it." Sun's mother explained. "But I need to test it on you."

"And I'm the only one that can actually survive a day of it, right?" he asked. "This is a pain, but I'll do it."

He picked up the vial, and drank the ocean blue liquid in it.

Almost lazily he avoided Ren's hug.

"Too strong." he said. "I can't really counteract this without my powers… and I don't need it."

"Still… you could just stay in here with me…" tempted Sun's mother. "I didn't know it was that potent, or how amazing you look."

"Dreams are illusions. It's what happens in reality that matters." he quietly affirmed. "What I do know can affect tomorrow. As for what you're seeing, it's the same without the serum."

He stepped out of the clinic and returned to class.

* * *

"Hollow'd! I never knew you were… so cool!" said Sun.

"It was a mermaid serum. The only thing you see is me." he said, carefully dodging under her arms.

_I don't need a serum to get a girl. I know these girls secretly love me, that to them I ooze cool._

_This is going to be a problem… wonder if Nagasumi will understand?_

"Hollow'd?" said a familiar voice.

He turned around to face Sera.

"Yes?"

"Can I have a hug?" she asked.

The Living Portal smiled and drew her close to himself.

"What's happening with the girls? They were asking where you were." she anxiously said.

"Sun's mom wanted to test a serum on me. It worked too well, just like in Nagasumi's case." he said. "We'll have the most problems with Sun and Lunar."

Carefully Sera gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Don't get hurt."

"I'll try." he said with a knowing smile.

* * *

"DAMMIT!" Hollow'd shouted.

Running for his life, Hollow'd looked behind him.

A mob of adoring girls and pissed boys pursued him.

"Why does this have to happen to me!?" he shouted.

!(REPLAY)!

"Doing well, Naga-" started Hollow'd.

"YOU'RE NOT STEALING SUN FROM ME!" shouted Nagasumi as he slammed The Living Portal into the ground.

"SHE'S MINE!" joined in Kai. He drew his katana and started brutally slashing at Hollow'd.

Things escalated quickly as every male that saw Hollow'd started their own lynch mob.

The door opened, and the Disciplinary Committee joined in.

"HE'S… ours." said the members of the committee, all blushing in Hollow'd prescene.

_Dammit, I need to use the Potion of Effect Clearing. This might last a day, but I don't want it to ruin this day!_

_At least this happened after all my classes._

!(REPLAY END)!

_It's a good thing I come prepared for these things, _he thought.

He turned on his Stealth Armor. Undetected, he slipped away, entering Nagasumi's house.

"S***, that was close." he gasped. "I think a shower will help." said Hollow'd.

* * *

Turning off the shower, Hollow'd put on his clothing, and took his t-shirt. He still had his new fire pearl necklace on.

He opened the door. Lunar, River, and Sun were there. They all had blushes on their face, but only River was trying to cover it up.

_DAMMIT! NOT AGAIN!_

"Can we please… bathe with you?" they all asked.

"NO!" he shouted.

As he tried to break through the line of girls, they all grabbed onto him, making him fall onto the floor.

They started hugging him, with Lunar on his back.

"You're mine now, manservant."

"Never knew you were so cool!" said Sun.

River merely tightened her grip on him.

"GOD DAMMIT! LET GO OF ME!" he said, crawling towards his room.

He extended his wings to remove the clinging girls, and rushed up to his room. It was small, with enough room for a bed, desk, and wardrobe. But it was comfy.

Hollow'd slammed the door closed and locked it. He dropped his t-shirt, and put on a tank top.

_I'll have to go out again, _he despaired.

Opening the door, Hollow'd looked around. No Sun, no Lunar, no River.

He let out a sigh of gratitude.

Then he was suddenly blindfolded, and let by warm hands.

"Where the heck am I going?" he asked.

His guide merely opened an unfamiliar door and guided him in. Then she locked the door from the outside.

Tearing off his blindfold, Hollow'd wish he didn't.

He was in the spa Lunar's father ordered for her. The girls were using it.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?" he shouted yet again.

Sun and Lunar looked happily at him. They were all bathing.

In an instant he used magic to blind himself.

"What's happening?" he demanded.

"We're here to treat you." they all delightfully said.

_And so this day is annoying…_

Leaping backwards, he crashed through the wall and into the hallway.

_Safe._

"DON'T YOU DARE TAKE SUN FROM ME, HOLLOW'D!" furiously said Nagasumi, smashing The Living Portal straight into the spa room again.

Hollow'd unblinded himself to see where he was. He regretted it.

Soaring into the room, he dove uncontrollably into the Jacuzzi, where the girls were bathing.

Like hungry piranhas, the girls swarmed him, grabbing onto his arms and legs.

_DAMMIT!_

Wrenching his right arm free from Lunar's grasp, he opened a portal and desperately searched for a Base-Return Potion.

Grabbing a small bottle with a blood red liquid in it, he gulped it down.

Immediately they all let go, allow Hollow'd to desperately scramble away from them.

Someone grabbed his foot as he was pulled back into the water.

_That didn't work!? What the hell!?_

_Why do I have to be their crush!? River, why isn't yours Kronos?_

Swiftly he threw off Sun and Lunar, spun away River, and jumped into a portal.

He landed outside the spa area, where Nagasumi waited.

"Holy… shit." Hollow'd gasped. "That… was… a nightmare."

"Why do you look so beat up?" asked Nagasumi, with some recollection of punching him repeatedly.

"Hugged by too many girls, assaulted by a mob of boys, nearly drowning, and still being chased by girls." Hollow'd summarized. "Ren Seto- I meant Sun's mom wanted to try out that popularity potion again. I was the only one available at the time. It was too powerful, and it was intended for you. For life."

"How'd you get rid of it then?" asked Nagasumi.

"Normality potion. Both a cure and a weapon." he panted.

The Living Portal got off no more, as he was blasted away by a barrage of blades and two sonic screams.

Coughing up blood, Hollow'd shouted "Why am I always the one getting injured!?" as he crashed through the house.

* * *

"Shuriken, kunai, kunai, poison dart, smoke bomb, shrapnel, kunai, kunai…" he muttered as he removed the varied ninja weapons from his body. Sitting on the ground, he counted his cuts.

"Need help?" asked a pleasant female voice.

"Perhaps." he said, without looking behind him.

Sera hugged him from his back, giving that passive appreciation.

"At least you're here." she gently whispered.

Hollow'd smiled as he regenerated his missing flesh. "I'm calling it a day. No homework left, and not really anything to do."

He padded over to his bed and laid down.

Sera got into it, then pulled Hollow'd into the bed. She covered him up with the sheets and snuggled closer to him.

"Trouble always finds you, doesn't it?" she teased.

"Sad to say, yes." he said.

"Does it ever get better?"

"With you around, yes."

Turning off the lights with his mind, Hollow'd went to sleep.

_He looks so peaceful, despite what happened to him, _she thought. _I don't want to lose him… like I lost my family. My friends. And one day, I wish I could be in peace like him…_

_I wish I will never be separated from him._

"Sera…" The Living Portal whispered. "I know that your wish will come true."

Sera extended her six wings. She noticed his silver wings were out.

"Remember this: keep on wishing. Never lose sight of that wish, because you must do everything you can… to make it true." he said. Finishing his words, he gave Sera a kiss.

Again, she melted into it, enjoying his warmth.

Their wings touched tentatively, then stayed in contact.


	27. Chapter 26: The Transcendence Key

Chapter 26: The Transcendence Key

"It's time we left this universe." said Hollow'd. "A good year has passed, you're officially dating, and I bring gifts. No cookies, though." Standing in from of him was Lunar, Sun, and Nagasumi. River and Kronos already left to some unknown destination.

He opened a portal and pulled out a small box, a microphone, and various weapons.

"The weapons, of course, go to your families." said Sera. "They'll need it to defend themselves."

The Living Portal took the microphone, and handed it to Lunar. "How is it?" he gently asked.

Lunar tightly hugged him. "Stay here… manservant." she gently said.

"Can't. I've got a cousin to deal with. There's something I must finish." he said, gently patting her on the head. "At least remember me."

Finally, he gave the box to Nagasumi. "Open it." he said expectantly.

Nagasumi did, and nestled in it was a beautiful ring, made of gold, silver, aquamarine, and sapphire.

Instantly Hollow'd grabbed the ring and seemingly broke it into too. "It's how it was designed. Two rings, one for you, one for Sun. A little appreciation gift, bonding you two closer together." He gave one to each.

Sun and Nagasumi put on their respective rings, then kissed deeply. "It certainly does." commented Sun.

"We'll be off." said Sera. "Remember us two, and _never _call me Seraphim."

"Okay, Seraphim-" started Hollow'd.

Swiftly she slapped Hollow'd into the sandbar. "WHAT DID I JUST SAY?" she shouted intensely.

* * *

"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HER!" shouted Admina, slamming Hollow'd repeatedly in the back.

"WHAT- THE- F***- ARE- YOU- DOING?" he bellowed back. "TRYING TO CRIPPLE ME FOR LIFE!?"

"Admina, just stop it. He's my boyfriend, and it ain't cool." reminded Sera.

The Living Portal got up shakily, then decided upon something. "I remember now… I surpassed God before. I sealed my powers… after I bested him in an alternate universe… with the Transcendence Key."

"You have too many inconvenient limiters, Hollow'd." pointed out Sera. "Why do you use it if you have control over it?"

"You're telling me to play God again, aren't you?" he responded. "With the key… I should be able to access 100% power. And I know the area it's in."

"Where?" Admina said anxiously. She was not in the mood to be sliced up like Shard.

"The alternate universe. Infinitum. AKA the dimension where everything exists at every given point in time, and always in quantity, but must be found." he finished. "Get ready. Nothing's simple in Infinitum."

* * *

On that endless stone plain, a portal opened.

Hollow'd walked onto it, with Sera holding his hand. She had her Willblade out and on, for good luck. It was a flame-red color.

"I sense it." he muttered.

"Yes you do, brother."

Without turning around, Hollow'd said "Might as well help me."

"I don't need to. I have it with me." said Kronos teasingly. He held up a little key that rapidly changed colors.

River drew her sword. "And we're taking it for ourselves."

"I can understand why, but do you really want to play God?" asked Hollow'd. That was the deadly, cursed question.

"I would say so, cousin." ominously said a voice behind him. "Power is corrupting for everyone, after all."

"You've already been corrupted, bro." commented The Living Portal as he turned to face him. "What do you have to say about it, Malus?"

Likewise, Sera looked behind her.

Malus was casually dressed, with jeans, differing from Hollow'd usual sport pants. He wore a gray shirt and a jet-black long coat. His blood-red eyes looked under his black hair, and his face was broken into a cruel parody of a smile. Innately evil, even though Malus was sincerely happy.

"Besides 'that's me'? I'm Subject 169, The Universal Evil." he said. "I'm willing to make a deal, 'cause I was here just to kill you two. Permanently."

"What is it?" Hollow'd asked. "Back to hell? Been there, done that. Nothing new under Satan's sun, I'm afraid."

"Here's the deal. If you turn yourself in, I'll give your companion the Transcendence Key." Universal Evil bargained.

"Either way, I lose." finished Hollow'd. "Why not have you and me fight each other to the death? It'd be less of a pain."

"Either way," Malus mimicked, "my plan will procede as planned. Nothing will stop me from becoming God."

"Really… Portal Rift!" Hollow'd shouted.

Malus sidestepped the sudden move, his face grinning back at him. "That's more like it!" he laughed as a huge swath of destruction sliced through the landscape. "Wrath: Devastation!"

Pure red energy erupted in front of The Universal Evil, melting, cutting, disintegrating its way through Hollow'd. It slid out like a skate on ice.

Sera barely noticed something had slipped out of her hand. Malus was a blur as he held her Willblade.

With his Portal Sword, Hollow'd cleanly cut off Malus's right arm. Blood spurted from the sudden amputation.

Both gasped. Hollow'd had a hole through the heart; Malus was stuck with only a left arm.

"Everything is going according to plan…" he ominously said. His smile finally faded, his eyes focused on the ultimate sin.

Playing God.

Hollow'd's eyes widened. He knew _why _Malus stole her Willblade.

Hacking into the blade with pure malice, Malus transformed the Willblade into Hollow'd's old Source arm. He joined it with the recently cut stump, allowing the work of art to connect to him.

"Process complete." Malus said. "Now I'm God."

Hollow'd's words were drowned out as Malus shot off a maelstrom of antimatter pellets, now tinted red. Every shot connected with his torso.

Engulfing the endless plain, the antimatter exploded, with Hollow'd dead center in the explosion.

Malus merely focused and forced all the explosion power to go _into _Hollow'd.

Barely standing in a newly formed crater, Hollow'd was riddled with holes and covered with his own blood. He coughed up the red liquid, a sure sign he was fatally injured. Cuts and burns dominated his skin.

"Full-Portal Mode." he muttered.

Nothing appeared to have happened.

"Too weak, cousin!" cackled Malus evilly as he drew his sword, Evil Day. "Taste your defeat!"

Malus thrust his sword cleanly through Hollow'd body. No blood, no wound.

Hollow'd merely cut through it by grabbing it.

"You've forgotten." he said. Reaching out, he easily sliced through Universal Evil's left arm, blood cascading from the new amputation.

Roaring, Malus shot off another barrage of antimatter pellets.

Closing his eyes, Hollow'd said "Portal Dimension."

A spherical portal appeared around both The Living Portal and Malus, cutting off the view of Sera, Kronos, and River.

And Sera noticed with a pang of worry that Hollow'd had never seemed to use his full arsenal.

"He's dedicated to this course…" she whispered.

* * *

"Arrgh!" Malus roared as his own antimatter pellets hit him. His body was riddled with burn marks.

"You know I never show my full arsenal." Hollow'd said icily. "There's a reason: it's because I'm more that capable to end this universe. And in this area, bound by portals, I reign. I'm not playing God: I don't control everything. But you're trying to."

"Then I'll be God." Malus said. "7 Deadly Sins: Lucifer."

Tendrils of pure malice spiked from his body, then exploded outwards. They went through Hollow'd's body harmlessly, but he knew what had happened.

Dark red armor, seemingly made of hellfire, protected Malus's body as he revealed his red demon wings: they were the same shade of red.

His blood-red eyes became emotionless.

_S***! He's using the same technology I use! This is bad…_

"Booting Up: Source Malus… process complete. Updating roster… update complete. Objectives: slaughter and defeat. Adding variable: evil."

In a firestorm Malus spread hellfire across the place, bone white in color.

_You're really intent on beating me, huh? That's hellfire from the deepest level, also called Infinitum._

_What a coincidence._

Roaring, Hollow'd began shooting off lasers from each portal. He summoned out his Portal Swords, and started cutting through the fire.

In a moment of surprise, the fires exploded like napalm, spreading everywhere.

And just as it couldn't get worse, it blew up _again_.

Staggering away in the air, Hollow'd turned off his Full-Portal Mode. He was tired, and under excruciating pain. The hellfire was the limit of his pain tolerance.

"Seven Deadly Sins: Satan." grimly said Malus.

A wave of white hellfire washed over Hollow'd, and for the first time in years, he screamed in physical pain.

"Doesn't it feel good to let it all out, cousin? Pain spreads quickly, but it doesn't hurt till I'm involved." sadistically said Malus. "9 Rings of Hell: Indefinite Torture."

A roar of pain nearly knocked Malus off his feet as Hollow'd was incessantly tortured by every kind of pain possible.

_No! Sera!_

_What have I done!?_

_I've failed_

_STOP IT! MAKE IT END! NO NO NO NO NO NO NO...MAKE- IT- END!_

A surge of power washed over Malus as the portals flickered, then closed.

_My God. What… happened to him?_

Malus looked completely unharmed, even smiling as if he was enjoying himself.

On the other side, Hollow'd was covered with burn marks that only got worse. The trademark of the worst hellfire.

"I'm not just Hollow'd, you know." was all he said.

His cousin's smug face faded as he figured out what he meant.

"Fine then." he said. "7 Deadly Sins: The Unholy Trinity."

Once again, hellfire rolled over the area, threating to burn through anything in sight.

Sera controlled the fire and prevented it from burning Hollow'd any more. She knew he screamed in pain because of it.

Hollow'd examined his shirt and concluded it was too burnt up to be used again. His jacket, as always, was fine, and his sport pants were still long and usable. Just with a nasty rip on one of the legs. Securing the jacket around his waist, he spread out his silver wings.

At a medical point of view, Sera noticed the burns. His chest and back was practically a huge 3rd degree burn, and while there weren't really any on his face, there was a nasty one on his left cheekbone. The most prominent thing: he smelled like an ongoing wildfire. Smoking, disastrous, and terrible.

Malus, strangely enough, was dressed in nearly the same style as Hollow'd, but with jeans. Just as muscular, he spread out his demonic wings.

"We're both Source and Origin." he said. "My arm was good, but not as good as yours. And because of it, I can use everything you have. Except, of course, your eyes or subject powers. But that's a different story."

"There is nothing to be discussed." somberly said Hollow'd. "One final blow to rule them all."

Drawing his Death Sword, rechristened "Grim Path", he waited.

"Trinity Acts: Revelation!" shouted Malus. With three newly summoned evil suns of white hellfire, he charged at Hollow'd.

"Finale." Hollow'd said. As his sword Grim Path glowed with a silver aura, he prepared to slash it down overhead.

The attacks connected, creating dark electricity. It arced around the two, intensifying as the two forced more energy into their attacks. Slowly, Hollow'd was losing ground.

And in that moment, Grim Path shattered.

Malus hit Hollow'd with the full force of Trinity Acts: Revelation, seemingly vaporizing his body in white hellfire.

Sera shed a tear. Hollow'd was dead… until she realize he was still screaming in pain.

_Holy s***, Hollow'd is still alive?_

In a huge crater Hollow'd was lying facedown, defeated. The crater was made out of glass; the sheer heat forced the trace silicon amounts in the stone to rise up and become the transparent material.

Flying with her six wings extended, she nervously brushed her mane-like hair, which reached to her waist. Surveying the damage, she glided towards Hollow'd. Landing nearby, she started examining Hollow'd.

_Don't die, Hollow'd. Please… don't leave me alone._

"Too… much… pain… tired…" he muttered. "Can't… move… limit…"

"Stay still." she said. "Fire of Love."

A golden fire blazed into existence, spreading to the rest of his body. It died down, revealing healed up injuries and rapidly shrinking scars.

One scar remained on his chest, running from his right hip to his chest, right over his heart. It obstinately refused to be healed up.

Then it suddenly disappeared, with Hollow'd regeneration kicking into overdrive.

Shakily he got up with Sera's help. "I'm sorry." he grimly said.

She started crying. "It's okay. You did your best…"

"It's fine. I can say there's a happy future up ahead."

"What!" she said in surprise.

"I can only see the beginning and the end of something, as well as what it's for." he gently said. "Limited precognition skills, as a result of my two powers." Stroking her long flame-colored hair, he said "We'll see each other again, if you keep on with that wish."

Inferno Incarnate nodded, then gave him a sad kiss, like the one Hollow'd gave her before training in hell for 5 years.

Tears blurred her vision as she let go, allowing Hollow'd to be chained up by dark red chains. They glowed maliciously.

"Take the key."

Sera's eyes widened as she caught the rainbow colored key.

"No matter what you do, you can't win. Even having that key won't work, 'cause I'm God." said Malus.

Ripping a hole in the fabric of space, he walked through, with Kronos and River behind him to make sure Hollow'd didn't escape.

The rip closed, then reopened. It started pulling at her.

_A vacuum?_

Her fingers slipping away from the ground, she flew through the rift. It closed the instant she went through.

Falling, she extended her wings and looked down at HQ, smoking and on fire.

She saw 4 fallen team members and 3 traitors.

"FAITHUS! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?" she shrieked.

* * *

"Traitor." Faithus emotionlessly said. "10 Plagues: Sea of Blood."

Welling up from the remains of HQ, a mass of blood smashed into Sera.

"Solaris: Growing Sun." she managed to bubble out.

One small sun appeared right next to Faithus. It started slowly growing, then exponentially exploded outward. Consuming him, the sun grew bigger and bigger.

In a horrid smell of rust the blood evaporated, leaving newly formed iron chunks and Sera to freefall to the ruins of HQ.

_S***! Their eyes are all red! Damn evil corruption!_

She narrowly dodged a well-placed trap by Bound, but could only watch as Walker launched himself at her, his Warp speed already initiated.

_I… must see Hollow'd again!_

_I love you, Hollow'd._

And in an unfamiliar surge of power, she grabbed Walker's foot in mid-attack and twisted it.

"S***!" shouted Switch, her eyes a deep red. "What the-" she said as Walker tried to escape Sera's grasp.

She switched the air with Walker, allowing him to painfully grasp his ankle. "It's… broken." he said as he gritted his teeth.

"YOU... WILL… NOT… KILL THEM!" Sera roared angrily, her power rising exponentially.

"How the hell are you getting stronger? You're like Hollow'd: always with an ace up your sleeve." shouted Faithus. "It's not possible."

"Heat powers." she said. "I control heat, and everything related to it. "But there's a side I've never shown to you: the higher my body temperature, the stronger I get. And here's something to know: a Blaze's temperature is reflected by emotions. So when I'm over the top in love with someone and completely pissed, you're dead. Burn in hell, b****es."

Revealing her six wings, she drastically increased the energy in the air.

And in a horrifying moment, the air exploded like a nuclear weapon. Like Tsar Bomba used over and over again, in the same exact spot.

The heat blasted over the ruins of HQ, which was completely empty: the urban area around it was completely abandoned.

Screams could be heard in the air. Sera wasn't moved, and once again she had the revenge goal in mind.

Hell-bent on avenging her teammates, she was at her limit. She had more raw power than anyone nearby, outstripping the power of Faithus and his group.

"Your move, The God King." she mockingly shouted.

"Retreat. We can't win this battle." he crisply said. "By the way, where's Anatas? What about Bound and Renda?"

"They all got out of this dimension." Walker reported.

Switch looked angrily at Sera. "Next time, you're dead."

She disappeared with Walker and Faithus, going into another alternate dimension set up by Malus.

"Fire of Healing." Sera muttered. She directed the red flames downwards, towards the battered bodies of her comrades.

* * *

"You know why you're here, Hollow'd." cackling Malus. "A power source."

"And-"

Hollow'd had his face smashed down again.

"No better name for it than God, cause I'm God. And whatever I create is just as great."

"You can't make a better right-"

"SHUT UP! I AM GOD, AND I PLAN FOR YOU TO BE THE MAIN CORE OF GOD!" he shouted, losing his composure. "Let's start the siphoning part."

_I'm sorry… _

_Wake me up,_

_Sera._


	28. Chapter 27: Third in Trinity

Chapter 27: Third in Trinity

"Wake up, you dead man. Get your a** off the ground." said a familiar voice.

_My voice._

Hollow'd opened his eyes and saw his own face. He saw himself looking down at him. But unlike him, he had black eyes.

"Death. What is it?" said Hollow'd.

"There's something that concerns me. I need you to help me."

Groaning, Hollow'd got off the ground. "We're in my consciousness. My mind."

"Hollow'd's mind." said Death. "There's a difference. We're supposed to be a trinity. Three aspects of death in one. Without the third one we can't win."

Shocked, The Living Portal gasped as The End continued talking.

"And truthfully, we're all the same age, created at the same time. The truth is, the complete Hollow'd was much more powerful than God. Three times more, at the very least."

"Then who's the third?"

"I don't know! That's what I'm asking you!"

As the tension rose up, both spread their wings. Hollow'd's was silver; Death's was nightmare black, reflecting no light at all.

And Hollow'd finally remembered, his far past memory sharpening.

"Raphael. Raphael Mortuus." Hollow'd said. "That's his name. Don't we all have the same last name?"

Death nodded.

"I remember now… we all were Subject 00. But then you changed yours, so you were Subject 01." he said.

"Raphael Mortuus. Subject 00, The Cure." gasped Hollow'd. "That's it!"

"What's it? A revelation?" dryly asked Death.

"The three aspects of death! Death is the path to another life, the afterlife. Death is the killer that destroys families and kills everyone in the end. Death is… _the ultimate healer, _the one that eases all suffering." The Living Portal explained.

"So how do we find Raphael?" expectantly asked Death.

"Search for a miracle healer." said Hollow'd, smiling. "There's one place that'll stand out."

"Not the Project EX0DUS Containment Annex?" The End asked.

"Wrong! It is."

"****************************!"

(Death is a master of curse words, able to keep up a fluent conversation using only advanced expletives.)

* * *

"I can't believe it… they were traitors." muttered Admina. "Where's Hollow'd?" Nervously she shifted her feet around.

Both Admina and Sera sat in a makeshift meeting room, created out of salvaged furniture and rugs. The remains of HQ was still under repairs. It was mainly because every member wanted HQ rebuilt, so that it was less of a bunker and more of a training facility.

"Captured by Malus. He might be dead by now." mournfully said Sera. "I don't know what's coming up… but I managed to get the Transcendence Key."

"I'm so sorry about Hollow'd." Admina said, in a heartfelt manner.

Inferno Incarnate looked up in surprise.

"Was he… important to you?" she asked tentatively.

"Yeah. He was like an older brother; the best one anyone could have. I never apologized for how I acted. Was he your boyfriend?" said =False.

"Yeah… there's a hole in my heart now." murmured Sera.

Walking in, Arena chose a simple rocking chair and plopped onto it.

"I got some intel on Hollow'd. Personal message from Malus himself, and from what I know about him, it should be true." reported Arena. "Hollow'd has a horrible fate."

"Permanent death?" whispered Sera. She started crying, sobbing as she thought about being permanently left alone.

"No. A power source. A slave. Nothing more than an object." said Arena. "He'll be used to power a huge _Titan_-Class Robot. Hell, we've come up with another category just for that. _Primordial_-Class Robot. Just… huge."

"Hold it." said Admina. "What the hell are you talking about? What have you been smoking and where can I get some… to get rid of it all?"

"Any human or AI controlled robot is divided into classes. We have so far been able to make up to the _Titan_-Class Robots. Huge, the size of a skyscraper. _Primordial_-Class is just below the boundary of this Earth's atmosphere and space." said Arena. "You can tell I did my research."

"Will we ever have a chance to… save him?" nervously asked Sera.

"Yes. When Malus's robot, almost fittingly called God, appears." both comforted Admina and Arena.

* * *

"Still looks like hell." grumbled Death.

"Why do you always have to be so negative? It's not that bad." reprehended Hollow'd.

Ahead of them, a cluster of white-washed building appeared. Arranged in a ring, the buildings looked almost heavenly, had not some of them crumbled to pieces.

Also, it once floated up in the air. Now it was firmly anchored and set down onto Earth.

"That's Raphael." smirked Death. "Always so helpful to his enemies and friends. Who does he think he is, God?"

"No… more like his namesake archangel. The healer of God, ever so helpful. Best buddies." said Hollow'd. "Now please put away that sword: we're not here to decimate the whole place."

Walking into the grand hall, they saw injured armies gathered here, all for one purpose: to regain their strength. Every soldier took an oath of peace in here: nobody could fight in here.

Conveniently, Hollow'd felt himself bleed as he ran into a closed spiked door, curtsy of the government that conducted Project EX0DUS. It was designed to keep people out and in.

"Damn oaf! Watch where you're-" started Death.

The Living Portal stopped him with a hand gesture. "Well, at least we have an excuse to see him now, don't we?" smiled Hollow'd.

* * *

"Jeez, what the heck have you been doing?" asked Raphael, looking at Hollow'd quizzically. "Stabbing yourself? Trying to commit suicide?"

He was conversing alone with Hollow'd in the courtyard, healing up injuries without even casting a eye.

"Naw, just ran into a spiked door in here." said Hollow'd. "We were looking for you-"

"So I could kill you!" shouted Death as he arched his sword Tartarus Blade at Raphael.

Hollow'd backflipped away as Raphael took out a burning sword. Its fire would never be put out under normal means: Godfire is nearly inextinguishable.

"Blessed Flames." Raphael said.

Clashing with Death, he side-stepped and shouted "What the hell? How'd you find me-"

"STOP IT!" Hollow'd shouted as he fluidly pinned their swords to the ground with Grim Path. "Not a good start to what we're here for, Death. No killing. Otherwise we'll never get out of the problem in reality."

"Wait a minute…" said Raphael. "The whole trinity is here. After… 1003 universes." His white eyes showed concern.

Simultaneously they all revealed their wings. Raphael's were pure white.

Their wings revealed a progression from white to black.

"And now all of us will be fighting for dominance." acknowledged Hollow'd. "Over my body."

He glared at Death, then at Raphael. "I need to explain the situation here."

* * *

"He's connected 100%. We're siphoning his energy successfully, max capacity." reported Renda. "Only… around 12.5% there."

"How long?" asked a smooth voice. "Operation Revelation must start."

"At our current rate, 7 days." she reported.

"Good. One week of despair." the voice chuckled. "Bound, are you sure he can't escape those chains?"

"Positive. After all, Malus, you did help me out."

"Alright. One week. Let the terror begin." said Malus.

* * *

"This body," Hollow'd emphasized, "is being used as a power source. We're linked up my cousin's- I'm sorry, all of our cousin's giant robot. How do I put it into terms… Pacific Rim Jaegar style. It almost reaches the boundary of space."

"Then why haven't you gotten out!?" shouted Death. "You're more powerful than your cousin."

"Not when he's hacked my backup right arm and when every evil supports him." said Hollow'd. "That's the only reason why he's won: he stole some of my stored power. And now… he's playing God."

Raphael's eyes widened. "And he's screwed?"

"I think he'll be the one messing the place up. Then he gets cursed." said Hollow'd. "Basically, I need your help."

"So that you can dominate us?" snarled Death.

"No, to become your true self. You have the negative and neutral." pointed out Raphael.

"Now let's add in a little angel." grumbled Death.

He drew Tartarus Blade again and smashed it downwards.

The whole area around him shook from that little effortless blow.

Drawing Blessed Flames again, Raphael shouted "Again!?"

"STOP TRYING TO KILL EACH OTHER!" shouted Hollow'd at the top of his lungs, with a Portal Sword in each hand.

* * *

"Sera? Do you want to go swimming?" asked Arena. "It's a nice day."

"No…" Sera said, brushing her hair. "I'm tired."

"Take a nap." suggested Admina. "You'll need to rest to save Hollow'd."

"Thanks." Sera said.

Walking into her room and closing the door, she got into the bed and started dreaming.

Within the dream, she saw a ring of white buildings in various states of disrepair. A fight seemed to be going on in it.

"EX0DUS." she said. "Why here, out of all places… I hate this place."

Hollow'd's voice shouted out. "GOD DAMN STOP IT!"

She couldn't believe it as she saw _three _Hollow'ds fly out of the building. They all smashed into the ground nearby.

_What the hell is happening? _she thought.

* * *

"Kill!" shouted Death as he whirled around, nearly decapitating Raphael.

"Hell no!" he shouted back, parrying the stroke and retaliating.

They stopped their swordplay when Hollow'd grabbed both of them by the neck, overpowering them.

"What did I say?" he hissed.

None of them were in the mood to answer. They just couldn't explain why Hollow'd was more powerful.

"We're all the same person, right? Just a different part. Kill one, and Hollow'd is permanently dead. Forever." he continued.

"Hollow'd!" shouted a feminine voice.

Dropping both Death and Raphael, The Living Portal looked behind to see Inferno Incarnate.

"How'd you get here?" he said quizzically.

"We're connected." she replied, just happy that they were together again. "It's just that… it's too damn confusing! It looks like you have clones, and even though I know you're all different, who's who!?"

Hollow'd turned around and gave her a hug, revealing his silver wings. Naturally laughing, he said "Different wing colors will help. You already kinda know Death. Meet Raphael, the guy with white wings."

Unconsciously everyone revealed their wings. Sera flapped her 6 gold wings once before looking at the three.

"Nice to meet you, Raphael." she said as she disengaged from The Living Portal. She resisted the urge to instinctively run up to him and hug him. It was only natural, considering all three looked the same save for the eyes and wings.

"Do you already know our situation?" he apprehensively asked.

"Yeah… my friend Arena got intel on that. Admina helped with that also." said Inferno Incarnate.

"The problem with this isn't finding the third… it's deciding who's the dominant personality." briefed Death.

"So we've got to fight for it. It's only natural." finished Hollow'd. "This is a battle I have to fight."

Sera gave him a quick kiss. "It's okay, I'll still love you."

"But you wouldn't love Death or Raphael." Hollow'd pointed out.

"Just take your body back, please."

* * *

"Finale: Black Consumption." said Death.

A gigantic black hole appeared in the air, ripping away the earth and creating a pull towards destruction.

"Cure: Supernova." said Raphael.

The force and separation of the supernova countered the black hole, negating the attack.

"Portal Shots." responded Hollow'd.

Shooting off portals like bullets, they easily went through Death and Raphael, creating holes in their bodies. Blood gushed from the wounds.

As The End readied his next move, The Cure simply regenerated his missing flesh.

"Takes a lot more to keep me bleeding-"

"Finale: End Operation."

Death whirled behind Raphael and stabbed him in the heart with his right arm. "No more healing." he smirked.

"Portal Rift!"

Neither of the two could avoid the attack, giving them both a deep gash from hip to shoulder.

Withdrawing his hand, Death drew Tatarus Blade and slashed at Hollow'd.

The air rushed forward in a crescent, digging into Hollow'd. As he fell back, The Cure moved in and jabbed Blessed Flames into his heart.

He screamed. Godfire was the worst fire out there, generally considered the most painful fire. It didn't just burn; it tore, tortured, commanded, and generally hurt like hell.

"Portal Monster." he gasped.

Pounding his fists into Raphael, he threw him back and set his right arm to _Termination _mode.

Its full arsenal unleashed, metal seemingly infected his right arm, then solidified into his Source Arm. Not to be outdone, his left arm's runes flashed, then glowed intensely.

Barely paying attention, he effortlessly grabbed both Death's and Raphael's swords. Their arms had changed in response.

Beyond pain, everyone agreed that Hollow'd become a monster among monsters.

Hollow'd barely noticed the pure power arcing between all three of them. He realized the truth, and why he could hold back two Gods.

_That's it! I'm the original!_


	29. Chapter 28: Manifest, the Killer Intent!

Chapter 28: Manifest, the Killer Intent!

_This is crazy! He's a trinity? I could deal with two in one, but a third?_

_S***! How is this going to end? _worried Sera.

_There's one of me and three of them… Blaze Rods it is. I guess._

Materializing from nowhere, the fire-colored rods spun around her precariously, then at whirlwind speed.

"Solaris: Orbiting Stars." she confidently said.

As her blaze rods were engulfed in flames, then fusion energy, she felt the same unfamiliar surge of power.

Roaring, she shot off the stars at the nearest person. Unfortunately, it just happened to be Hollow'd.

Smashing him into the ground, Hollow'd was engulfed in harsh light as the stars repeatedly slammed into him.

"WHY- AM- I- ALWAYS- THE- ONE- GETTING- HURT!?" he shouted.

Forcibly he got up and caught a star, willing it to become a Blaze Rod again. Coughing up blood (he did an awful lot of that, due to the stuff that happened to him), he patted down some blazing fires on him.

His lower body and back looked like it was from a burn victim.

"Sorry about this… Portal God." he said.

Regenerating his skin and wounds, nothing happened.

"IS THIS A JOKE!?" shouted Death as he slashed Tartarus Blade down at him, the nightmare emitting a silent scream of pain.

Unsheathing Grim Path, which morphed to a simple, rune marked katana, he unsheathed another sword, removing the blade as if it was a scabbard.

Another katana blade took its place, glowing ominously with its near transparency.

"The Portal Blade… at its most devastating state." said Hollow'd. "Never get in a swordfight with me when I'm wielding this."

Obviously, Death wasn't listening as he slashed again at Hollow'd.

One clean cut was all Grim Path needed to carve through Tartarus Blade.

Taking advantage of them moment, The Living Portal reacted. Pivoting on his foot, Hollow'd kicked Death. Instead of forcing him back, it cut through him, leaving a foot-shaped hole in his torso.

"Finale: Grim Reaper." Death said.

Disappearing into his own shadow, Death reappeared. With eerie power, Tartarus Blade reformed, newfound black energy arcing along its edge. Revealing his wings, they were no more than black wings of bone, reflecting no light at all.

"There are so many things that I don't show the truth about. The truth is harsh." said Hollow'd. "Grim Path is one example. How's your Manifest?"

"Not much." replied Death.

"You're forgetting someone." said Raphael. "Augmentation: Michael."

Godfire suddenly engulfed Raphael, dying down to reveal war armor. It was literally angelic, with finely crafted gold colored armor and a light aura. Summoning Blessed Flames, he dared both to start attacking.

"Solaris: Infinite Supernovae." said Sera, shattering the moment.

Three quick slashes neutralized the explosion as the three clashed with each other. The augmented power enabled both Death's and Raphael's swords to resist the nature of Grim Path.

Hollow'd merely gritted his teeth as he locked his blade into place.

* * *

"We've got an anomaly. Something's odd with the power source." reported Anatas.

"What!" said Malus. "It died down?"

"No… it's like it's on… overdrive." reported Walker. "In a few hours we'll be ready."

"Excellent. How many?"

"6 hours, my lord." reported Anatas.

"And what day is it?" Malus asked.

"Sunday. What they used to call the Sabbath." answered Faithus, nearby the three.

"Exactly. Perfect timing for a new age."

* * *

"Portal Arc!"

Ducking close to the ground, Death made sure his sword didn't touch the attack. Though his blade could stand simple swordplay, special attacks were something entirely different.

"Portal Hurricane!"

Losing his footing, Death was irreversibly pulled into a maelstrom of portals, threating to slice him up into a dish served cold.

Dragged into in the hurricane, Death finally said "Finale: State of Null."

Cancelling out the attack, he landed on the ground. His legs ached… probably because of the portals.

_Where the hell is my leg!? _he thought.

"Got a nerve." said Hollow'd as he effortlessly deflected Raphael's attacks. Raphael was intent on burning the hell out of Hollow'd.

"Portal Rift."

Screaming, Raphael looked at his right arm… or where it used to be.

Blessed Flames dematerialized as it fell into the newly carved chasm.

"Surrender?" asked Hollow'd.

Both Death and Raphael knew it would be near suicide to keep on fighting. Even though Death was the ultimate killer, even he got tired.

He was especially tired of this battle. He was drained, and while Raphael looked as if he could keep on fighting, he knew the next thing he'd lose was his head.

Hollow'd, despite the burns and various deep cuts and holes, looked as if he could do the fight all over again.

"Surrender." both said.

Smiling, Hollow'd collapsed, his Manifest still present.

Death tried to get up, despite the jabbing pain and the burns. It was too much, and so he fell back, most willing just to let it go.

_I'm at my limit… partly because of his girlfriend._

_Hold your horses! I was the main target! _argued Hollow'd telepathically. _She practically dropped nuke after nuke on me, and you know I hate explosions._

_Good point there, bro, _replied Raphael via his mind.

The Living Portal was literally blown away as Sera's Blaze Rods rammed into him again, superheating the air… and causing more nuclear fusion.

_Sera! Stop nuking me! _communicated Hollow'd to Sera.

_Start fighting back then! _replied Sera.

Portaling, Hollow'd landed behind Inferno Incarnate, holding Grim Path. Like a trained assassin, he restrained her neck with his left arm and brought the blade to her neck.

"Surrender?" he said softly.

She nodded slightly.

Returning the blade to the scabbard, he turned around, obviously saddened by the turn of events.

"You're shameful." said Sera.

Hollow'd turned around, obviously knowing what she was about to say.

"If you want to kill your cousin, then mean it. You, hands down, have no killing intent. And that makes me ashamed of you, that my boyfriend can't even kill anyone without shedding a tear." said Sera.

"It's not always the killing that makes me cry." responded. "It's how and when I do it."

"Prove me wrong, Death." retorted Sera.

Hollow'd stood stock still. Inferno Incarnate just hit a nerve.

"My name is Hollow'd. I'm not a murderer." he said, almost as if he was talking to himself.

"Then you're a weakling, 'cause you can't kill-" Sera continued on.

_Whoosh!_

Erupting from the ground, a grid of portals shot out, threatening to slice vertically through her.

She landed on a lone pillar of stone and earth, while Hollow'd floated in the air. His regeneration was on overdrive, finishing up with a minor cut on his cheekbone.

_The same one I cut, _she thought, though she had no idea why she thought about that.

Around her was simply a huge abyss. Nothing more, nothing less.

_At least I could sleep on this hunk of rock. Bed size, but no pillow. Sad._

_I really wish I could just wake up._

_You need information, and you have the Transcendence Key with you. That's why you're not waking up, _telepathically said Hollow'd.

_Leave it to you to know it all, _retorted Sera.

_And leave me to be a murderer? Killing isn't always the answer. Even though everything can be solved by killing, it's usually better __not__ to go down that road. You know what happened with me._

_Coward._

_Unreasonable._

_Weakling._

_Really? Are you actually trying to get yourself killed?_

_If that's the way to get you your killer instinct, yes-_

Swiftly, Hollow'd appeared right behind her. "It's too easy to kill you. Just like everyone else."

Sera pivoted around and punched him again, heating the atoms around her so they exploded.

Flying away from the lone pillar, Hollow'd counteracted the force with a simple kick.

He halted in mid-air, his face unreadable.

"Are you sure?" he said.

"Definitely-" Inferno Incarnate started.

She never saw him coming as he smashed her downwards into the pillar.

Crumbling, the pillar fell apart as she tumbled uncontrollably into the abyss.

_What the- _she thought.

As she fell farther down, she saw him diving towards her, his right arm set to _Termination _mode. It crackled with ominously, foreboding energy.

Catching up to her, he thrust his right arm into her heart.

"The past has finally caught up to you." Hollow'd hissed.

Swiftly removing his arm from the wound, he only said "Source Decimation."

Missile after missile pounded into her as the world around her distorted, ripping cuts into her flesh.

Coughing up a flood of blood, she kept on falling, buffeted by the explosions and hazardous weapons.

As she fell, she managed to say "Solaris: Converging Stars."

The familiar stars appeared, then surged towards Hollow'd, arcing for a direct hit.

"Origin Spell: The Void." he said.

A wave of pure darkness shot out from Hollow'd. As the stars hit the spell, they disappeared, nullified by the spell.

Surging towards her, Sera could only watch as she was engulfed by The Void.

_Can't… breathe… nowhere… help… _she thought as her vision literally turned black.

Only falling, she fell into a portal, back onto the surface.

Hollow'd was standing there, genuinely concerned.

"That… why didn't you use it at first?" gasped Sera, still clawing for air.

"Oh? The killing instinct and intent?" asked Hollow'd. "It tends to corrupt my soul, making me _the _killing machine. Nothing more but the ultimate killer. Besides, had I used it then, I would have not just killed him. I might have killed you. Permanently."

He let silence fall to allow her to understand.

"That's why you never show your full arsenal?" she choked.

He nodded. "I'm afraid that's why I've kept this a secret, even to you. It's a manifestation of my curse."

"What about your sword, Grim Path? Your own creation?" asked Sera.

"Actually… it's what we Origin call our Manifest. Ever watch Bleach, or seen the manga?"

"No…" she said.

"It's like their Zanpakuto, but it's literally a manifestation of our will and body. It's only as strong as those two things, and it embodies who we are. For example, mine is a really advanced Portal Sword. And as a side-note, if a Manifest breaks, the owner will be… shattered. Severely injured." Hollow'd explained. "It goes without saying that they vary a hell lot."

"Then why are all of yours swords?" she demanded. "At least add variety!"

Hollow'd turned around, looking at the horizon. "The sword is the original weapon of a killer. All three of us are killers, but in different aspects. If you thought I was brutal, think what Death would do."

"What? Drown me in acid while brutally stabbing me to death? It doesn't usually get much worse than that." sarcastically said Sera.

"Do you remember what I did with Yoshiuo?" he said. "Death would rip out his spine _last_. He would systemically remove every bone you have, making sure to-" he continued, making a violent breaking motion, "snap them painfully. And in his words… 'That's just a bit of the warm-up.' And yes, he knows how to do it. After all… he's the professional, Ultimate Killer. Mortal or immortal makes no difference."

Finishing the words, he allowed Sera to gasp in horror, then to scoot _away _from him.

"Monster…" she stammered, clearly at a loss for words.

"That's exactly who I am." he said sadly. He continued gently, "Damn curse… I can't escape fate, no matter where I go. Not to mention the irony…"

Sera closed her eyes and disappeared. He already knew she was out of her sleep.

"I've once thought killing was the life, but know I only know how to die. And even then… I still can't die. I'll always live… if not physically, then as a horrid memory."

Drained, he started crying softly.

* * *

_Gasp._

Sitting straight up in her bed, Sera gasped.

_Monster. Death is… a monster._

_No… Death is Hollow'd._

_…Why?_

* * *

"Ready for the fusion?" asked Hollow'd.

Raphael and Death nodded.

Focusing their power into one space, they slowly walked towards each other.

And then they walked into each other.

The power spiked as energy engulfed all three of them.

As quickly as the spike happened, it died down, revealing Hollow'd.

"Back in one piece. Sadly, it won't be the same when I die. If ever." he said, evidently still Hollow'd.

_I have the memories of Death and Raphael… their personality… their powers…_

_And now I'm truly the monster._

_I'm sorry, Sera._

_I'm metaphorically Death._

* * *

"Something's odd here." reported Bound. "The chains… they're starting to dissolve."

"How long before Operation Revelation is possible?" hissed Malus. "It doesn't matter if he escapes if we have enough power to start this up."

"We've been set back to 2 days and a half. 60 hours, if you prefer." reported Anatas.

"Though we can deal with some of the team members… they're relaxing _since _nobody knows about this." reassured Switch. "We'll be fine."

"Oh, I hope you're right." he said again.

* * *

"Ready!"

"Set!"

"Go!" both Admina and Arena shouted. They were dressed in bikinis.

Both jumped into the pool, swimming against each other.

"My win." smiled Arena as she touched the other wall first.

"That's not fair! You're a mermaid!" argued Admina, her shoulder-length black and white hair swishing.

Smiling, Arena revealed her red and blue fish-tail as she brushed her purple hair. "Well, you never asked about that, did you?"

"That's true." mentioned Drive, who was resting on the wall nearby.

Turning her face away from him, Arena covered her heavy blush. She had an intense crush on Drive, and after the incident with Death… he didn't exactly remember her as his girlfriend.

And she couldn't just admit her feelings again.

"Are you okay?" he asked, swimming over towards her.

"No… it's okay." she lied, making sure to disguise her blush.

Gently feeling her forehead, he asked "Since when did you get a fever?"

"Umm… a few-" she tried to explain.

"Seconds ago!" shouted Admina, with a wicked grin on her face.

"JUST SHUT THE F*** UP!" Arena shouted, sonic screaming her out of the water.

In a blur, Shard moved from the edge of the pool to just above the water, catching Admina out of the air. Plunging into the water, they both surfaced, visibly embarrassed.

"Sorry about that… morning." he said, scratching his brown hair. In a bathing suit, he had his arms around her.

Admina giggled. "You know… I've kinda been waiting for this moment…"

"Just stay still." he ordered.

Planting a kiss onto her lips, he started feeling her black and white hair.

"Why… that was sweet of you." she said.

"I know." he said.

"Are you done with making out?" Arena said. "It's been a while-"

She stopped abruptly as Drive patted her on the head, gently scratching it as if she was a cat.

"I could just do this all day." he said, smiling kindly.

Arena fainted. He was such a sweet person, almost like Shard… but… cuter?

His eyes growing in concern, he lifted her up out of the water onto the deck.

_Oh god, what am I going to do?_

_CPR? Compressions? Ambulance?_

_Just do CPR, god dammit!_

Beginning compressions, he counted. _1, 2, 3, 4…_

_…28, 29, 30._

Stopping, he started blowing air into her lungs… until he was pulled into an embrace.

"Umm…" started Arena, back from her faint. "I…"

"Am going to shout me across the pool, into the city, out of the state, and into the ocean to where only God knows?" he finished. "I'm sorry 'bout what happened there."

_This is so awkward… _she thought.

Her tail flapping, she looked tso the side. "How do I put this…" she muttered, her blush present.

"You like me?" he asked.

Shaking her head vigorously, she kept on saying "NO! NO! NO! IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!"

_What a tsundere, _thought Admina and Shard, both sweating slightly. Drive seemed to be… romantically dense.

"Jeez, what the heck is happening?" said Sera, walking in with a towel and a bikini on. "Oh… it's that again. Why won't she confess?"

"What!?" said Admina. "You've been trying to help her?"

"Makes sense. After all… warmth is a side-product of love…" said Shard.

"So I understand what needs to be done. It's just that… she still won't confess." said Sera. "And that's the only way to make someone like him understand. Someone else won't work; she has to confess or he doesn't get it."

_Kinda like Acchi Kocchi? _said Hollow'd's voice.

_What!? How are you communicating-_

_We're still connected by your dreaming. By midnight today I can't communicate with you._

Blinking, Sera watched as Arena was quivering on the deck, Drive still on top of her.

_She's still making that decision…_

_Oh, you mean Arena?_

_Yeah._

_She'll confess. Today, perhaps in a few minutes._

_How do you know this stuff?_

_She's the one that practically slammed me throughout HQ after I teased her a bit about it. Trust me, I know quite a bit about this._

_Just get out of my mind._

Almost shockingly, Sera managed to see Drive kiss Arena on the forehead.

"Just a-" he started.

"Kiss. So… I love you." managed Arena, covering her face so he couldn't see her blush.

With shock registering on his face… he remembered. "Love you too." he said as he picked her up, bridal style.

"Wha-!? Put me down-" she protested.

A kiss on the lips shut her up.

_Well, that's over. Now for the information… _started Hollow'd's voice.

_Tell me later! _insisted Sera via her mind.

_I'm afraid it's not that easy. You have… is it lunchtime?_

_Yeah._

_Two days until Operation Revelation. First target is Trinitas, where our friends are staying._


	30. Chapter 29: One Day She Woke Me Up

Chapter 29: One Day She Woke Me Up

_Two days? Why didn't you tell me? _she mentally shouted.

_Remember how I was fighting with Raphael and Death? That fight generated energy… and if I'm right, if I had kept that going, within 6 hours the world would be a wasteland. Scratch that, just boulders. I truthfully wasn't sure until I woke up for a moment._

_You're different. Have you-?_

_Yeah. I'm complete. All three parts are back._

_Monster! I hope that power will kill you-_

_Yes it will, once I finish what I started._

His voice cutting out, Sera stood, shocked at the news.

_He's going to kill me._

_Fine, Hollow'd! Die in a hole, scumbag._

_What-? Fine. Be that way. _finished Hollow'd.

Coming back to reality, she watched as Admina was carried out of the pool by Shard, both laughing their hearts out.

Arena quietly smiled as she linked arms with Drive.

_They look so happy. I wonder if I'll ever be as happy as them._

"I've got horrid news. We need to get back to HQ." Sera announced. "I'm glad I didn't get into the pool."

* * *

"In two days, Operation Revelation will begin at the elfish forest Trinitas." briefed Sera, pacing around the room. "That's our chance to defeat Malus and free Faithus's group."

"What about Hollow'd? Your job, I guess?" asked Arena, now starting to get over her tsundere nature.

"Before the news I would have said so… after all, he was the one that got me the news. He's still captured, and he's being used as a power source. And now… he's a monster." she finished, nervously brushing her fiery waist-length mane.

"But why?" asked Shard, his rainbow eyes showing questioning. "He'll be a vital asset."

Sera shuddered before speaking. "Hollow'd is like three people in one… three times more powerful than God. And I provoked him into showing me some killing intent…"

She started sweating, remember how _inhuman_ he seemed, completely contrasting his kind eyes.

"He won without even trying… and he said that another version of him… could… do horrible things…" she continued.

"Then… what do we do with him?" asked Admina.

"He'll be able to help, at least." argued Drive, with white hair starting to spike up.

"When he uses his killing intent… it _corrupts _him. His biggest worry… was that he'd kill me. Permanently. Imagine that, having to kill your loved one without any control." she sadly said. "In fact… HE'S A MURDERER!"

"But why?" responded the whole group in a near outrage.

"He's no longer Hollow'd anymore. He's Death again." grimly said Sera, breaking into tears.

_I've lost the only person I love. Now he's mindless, only there to destroy._

_I've got to kill him._

All of them stood there in shock, wanting not to believe her.

But it was true. All of them could feel the vague sense of a killing intent.

"I… can't believe it." was all Admina could say.

"Brother, why?" muttered Shard.

Arena and Drive could only hug each other, wondering why.

As they tried to come up with why Hollow'd became Death again, Sera fingered her new necklace. Stringed onto it was the Transcendence Key.

_In two days, you'll die. Monster._

_I love you, Hollow'd._

_I hate you, Death._

* * *

_Rain._

_Those are my tears as well._

A storm clashed over Hollow'd, flooding the earth. The rain only got denser and denser, distorting the landscape around him.

"Who am I?" he said to himself. "A cursed older brother or a killer?"

_This curse… it's like the sky on my back. But Atlas has nothing on me._

_Every day, every moment I live, the sky is on my back._

_And it only gets worse every day. The horizon can only get bigger._

"Hey, you. Damn moron, looking so dumb right there, in the mud. A damn hobo." taunted a voice.

Looking up, he made eye contact with a strong young man, obviously arrogant.

"You're name, mother f***er?" the man taunted again.

"Hollow'd Mortuus." he said lazily, knowing what would happen.

Instantly the man backed up, slipping towards the pool of mud behind him.

Easily catching his foot, Hollow'd swung him back onto solid land.

"Monster!" was all the man could gasp as he scrambled away.

Sitting alone and conflicted, Hollow'd thought to himself.

_Change is the ultimate catalyst._

"Can I ever change? I hope." he muttered.

As the storm raged harder and harder, he got up and walked away to the EX0DUS Containment Annex.

* * *

_1 Day to Operation Revelation._

"Sera! What brings you here?" asked Asha, holding out her arms.

"We're here on business." mentioned Sera, hugging her like a close friend.

Sigim looked down from a nearby tree. "You've sensed it too?"

"What?" asked Arena, who was unable to see anything amiss.

"The forest is slowly being corrupted. It's starting to die." said Sigim, looking around. "In fact… there's two infections. One is subtle though…"

"One seems to be just pure, concentrated evil. It's almost terraforming this area. The other just seems to make the area completely hostile. Almost as if it's trying to actively kill us elves." explained Asha.

"We actually know why that's happening." put in Drive. "Operation Revelation. No rhyme intended, that's the name."

* * *

_Focus…_

_Who am I?_

_Why am I cursed?_

_Because I played God._

In an endless desert, Hollow'd looked around, the traces of bandits nearby.

_Where do I go now? I no longer have a home._

_No one to greet me, no one to say "Hello!"_

_Just fear and panic wherever I go._

_I thought I changed my fate._

_But it seems that's the one thing I can't escape, no matter how many portals I go through._

_My fate is my curse. To break it to change fate._

Effortlessly, he pivoted on his right foot, summoning up a sandstorm. Picking up bandits, it sucked up the enemies, tossing them several dunes away.

"Taste the sand, b-" shouted a particularly resilient bandit.

Effortlessly dodging, he smashed through his skull, allowing the blood and fluid to rush out like a waterfall.

"I guess at the end of the day, the only thing I'm good at is murder." he said, carelessly ripping out his right arm from the skull.

Blood dripping steadily from his arm, he continued walking, creating a blood-red line towards the nearest bandit outpost.

_Alone. Perhaps that might be._

_F*** that s***, I'm destined to be alone!_

_Nobody quite understands me… all I've done was try and protect those I love._

_What do I get in return? The backs of everyone._

_I'm solitary! I don't need anyone!_

He stopped for a moment.

_Sera. I'm so sorry…_

* * *

_Hollow'd?_

Standing in a desert, a storm cracked above her.

_Why? Why did you leave me all alone? _bitterly thought Sera.

_You are nothing more than the lowest killer! Always bathed in blood!_

The stench of burning wood brought her back, and as she looked around, she spotted a burning bandit outpost.

Walking out of it, with spears embedded in his back, was Hollow'd. He was bathed in blood. His own blood.

"Go ahead, kill me if that's going to make you feel better." was all he said.

Swiftly she pounded the sand, stirring it up and obstructing his view. Blind, he could do nothing as she decimated the area with a quick nuclear explosion.

Flying high up, he snapped off the spear tips and allowed the shafts to fall back to earth.

Splintering, the stick crumbled in the presence of killing intent, unfamiliar to Hollow'd.

And in a second Sera had him in a headlock, slowly choking him and burning his skin.

"Taste death, monster." she said, constricting her arms tighter.

With almost fanatical force, Hollow'd reached up and threw her down easily, closing his eyes in misery.

"Why?" he asked gently, obviously not there to harm her.

"YOU KNOW WHY, MONSTER! YOU'RE THE KILLER, NOT THE PERSON I LOVE-" she ranted, extending her wings and flying above him.

He became a blur as he grabbed her by the throat. "The killer would rip out all your bones and make you suffer for something that's his fault."

Crying, he let go of her and dropped like a stone, head first.

"_Burial."_ he said, plummeting faster and faster.

The sands parted to allow him room, then blew back into place. An empty, soulless burial.

"You won't die that easily!" Sera shouted, summoning her Blaze Rods. "Solaris: Supernova Lances."

With spectral energy, the rods seemed to elongate, turning into a bright white color. They precisely stabbed into the sand, parting the grains and impaling themselves into Hollow'd.

Roaring, he blasted the air with raw, bestial power, blowing the sand away and forcing Sera to block the force.

In gory detail, Hollow'd had the lances in his body, some sticking out of his back.

With primordial force, he launched himself up into the air, systematically ripping out the lances with bare hands.

_That's not right. How is he-_

Spreading his silver wings, Hollow'd looked at her with soulless eyes. His body started regenerating, filling up the holes the lances pierced through.

"Warm-up Part 1 of Part Endless." he said, looking carefully at Sera.

Once again a blur, he smashed into Sera, making sure to hit her in just the right place…

Sera heard the sound of snapping as he threw her into the ground.

Slamming into the ground, she desperately tried to get up with no avail. She heard the familiar sound of her bones breaking, immobilizing her.

"Fingers or toes?" he asked almost comically.

"What-?" she started.

Easily, he cracked her fingers and ripped them off.

Screaming beyond pain and belief, she struggled, only able to watch him remove the bones from her fingers.

She started crying, her tears flooding the sand. _I don't want to die like this! Please! Anyone, help!_

Stabbing her bones into her, Hollow'd proceeded to try and rip off her toes.

_NO! NO!_

One thought escaped her mouth. "PLEASE, STOP IT HOLLOW'D!" she begged.

Freezing, he looked carefully at his handiwork, then gasped.

"What… happened… why… did I?" he started, crying.

He turned around, letting the storm rain on him.

Lightning repeatedly struck him, highlighting his sorrow.

Walking back towards her, he enveloped his hand in a kind green aura. "Stay still." he ordered.

"Finish… me… off?" Sera managed.

Gently touching her, Hollow'd closed his eyes.

_It feels like new energy is coursing through me, _she thought. _What is happening?_

Removing some scattered bones, he said "You're good."

Sera stood up in indignation, then stumbled in surprise.

Easily catching her, Hollow'd said "Rest. I've just healed your injuries. Now get back your energy."

"Get your hands off of me, pool scum." she angrily muttered.

Letting go of her uneasily, he sighed and turned back to the desert. "My future… is dead." he said. "And all I'll face when I die… is eternal torment."

Extending his silver archangel wings, he allowed them be struck by lightning. Feathers and flesh burning away, the fire devoured the wings, leaving the bones.

"Just… leave please." he begged. "I became the thing I hate the most: Death. I don't want to hurt you ever again, Sera."

"Stuff those bones down your throat, bloody killer." retorted Sera. "The next we meet is when you die."

Hollow'd closed his eyes, then laughed slightly. "That's true… but in a very different way and reason."

Disgusted, Sera disappeared out of her dream.

As he looked at the sunset, he said "Who am I?"

* * *

_0 Hours to Operation Revelation._

_Commence Operation._

_Countdown begin:_

_10…_

_9…_

_8…_

_7… New Code received: Code 666A. _

_0…_

* * *

_Destruction and war. That is all humankind is good at._

_Perhaps they deserve another taste of their foolishness. _

_They thought they were God._

_I am God. Ignorant fools._

* * *

"Move it out!" ordered Queen. "It's already begun."

Fence nearby siphoned the panicking elves to the parts, recounting what just happened. The fires around him threatened to make him forget.

_It was fast… out of nowhere it just appeared._

_That… robot just appeared. It's eons past my technology… and on such a grand scale._

_Reaches the sky? More like pierces the sky._

_How are we going to climb that thing, much less topple it?_

"You two, get moving! This is a Primordial-Class robot! It's too dangerous to stay here!" said Admina as she fired air cannons, shot after shot. "Shard's got the rest. For now we need you to protect them all!"

Nodding, both Queen and Fence swiftly ran away, taking shots at the new enemies.

* * *

"Concentrated Evil… Right Hand of God… Left Hand of God… this guy is nuts!" shouted Armis as he hacked his way through the horde.

"Just cover me, will you?" said Sage as she hurled spells at the group, filling the air with smoke and fire. "Fire Phoenix Squadron!"

Launching a huge mass of fire, Sage watched it as it morphed into a flock of phoenixes, charging through the horde and giving many their fair share of burns.

"Sera thought me that one." she said, grinning at her handiwork.

"Take cover!" shouted Arena.

Heeding her words, both covered their ears.

"GET OUTTA HERE!" Arena sonic screamed, blasting away a good deal of the horde, leaving very deaf enemies left.

"Protect the civilians!" said Drive as he systematically got rid of the remaining enemies. "Now!"

Nodding in understanding, they moved towards the line of elves.

* * *

Gritting her teeth, Sera flew higher and higher, towards the heart of the machine. Swiftly diving, she barely managed to avoid an array of missiles.

_If I can destroy the power source, this machine should stop, and then we can deal with it._

_Looks like I'm the only one that can even face up with any of those members. The corruption made them stronger than us, so they're closer to God then everyone but me._

_Perhaps I should thank you Hollow'd… your final gift was the strength to end this._

With her Blaze Rods spinning around her, she said "Solaris: Converging Suns."

The familiar stars appeared, only much larger, as they arced towards the huge robot. Even though they were dwarfed by the machine, Sera wasn't planning on burning it down. She was trying to rip a hole that she could go into.

_Take this, Malus!_

Unfamiliar power coursed through her again as she utilized her anger, causing the stars to burn brighter and hotter.

Clashing with the outer skin of the machine, arcs of electricity appeared.

One more kick was enough to force a hole into the robot.

Swinging into it, she landed on a catwalk.

Below her was Hollow'd, connected to the power coordinator. Chains and machinery prevented him from escaping.

Fingering the Transcendence Key, she said "Let's end this."

* * *

_Not loved._

_Hated._

_The protector needed… but not the protector wanted._

"Hollow'd. Wake up." started a feminine voice.

Groaning, he said "Are you going to torture me again?"

A swift slap rocked his head, but otherwise he didn't care.

"Okay, okay, what is it?" he said rudely.

"It's Sera. I'm here to stop this." she said.

"Then kill me. Malus and this robot is siphoning my power, converting it and using it for their own." said Hollow'd.

"Wait, this thing is _sentient_?" asked Sera in shock.

"Yeah… that's why it has so much weaponry on it. Hurry up and kill me." insisted Hollow'd.

"No." she said. "I'm-"

"Going to make me suffer and then kill me. Hurry up." he begged.

"No! I just can't-" said Sera.

"JUST KILL ME! THAT WAY I CAN'T HARM ANYONE… that… I love." finished Hollow'd, beginning to sob.

"No." she said, as she took out the Transcendence Key. "I'm here to allow you to finish this-"

"Thank you." butted in Malus, snatching the key from her hand and stabbing her fatally in the heart.

"Malus!? NO!" roared Hollow'd, shaking the robot.

Flying back up, Malus used the Transcendence Key on himself, commenting "Now I'm complete." he said, cackling evilly.

With tears on his face, Hollow'd got onto his knees and pulled Sera into a sitting position. "Why…?" he sobbed, clearly at a loss of _why _she would sacrifice herself for him.

Gently smiling in pain, Sera said "Even Death gets lonely." as she gave him a kiss.

Closing her eyes, she violently coughed up blood.

Almost fanatically, he started stroking her fire-colored mane. "Sera…"

Stopping, he closed his eyes and breathed in, rage quickly filling up within him. He easily healed her injuries, rejuvenating her body.

Sending her to safety via a portal, Hollow'd preformed the Death Touch on himself. As the burning pain deepened, he thought about himself.

_The fallen guardian angel, the fallen archangel. The fallen avenger._

He finally remembered the key to release his full powers, something he himself personally made himself forget.

"Release: Indefinite Avenger's Seal." he said.

Violently, he blasted away the chains and the machinery, freeing him from the fate of powering the machine and proving Malus more power.

"Portal Eruption." he said vindictively.

Erupting from the ground, a grid of portals decimated the robot, easily slicing through it.

Finally free, he looked up at the sky. It seemed forever since he saw the familiar blue color.

"Your God is a vengeful God." muttered Hollow'd. "Pay up for your ultimate sin, lest you be cursed forever, Malus."

* * *

"Looks like my dear little cousin is here to play games with God." said Malus. "I think I'll have fun using his own power against him. Quite the irony."

Looking at his 6 faithful new members, he said to Faithus and his group "Get him and knock him out, but leave the kill to me. I must teach him a lesson on defying my authority."

Readying themselves, they all grinned, Malus's evil augmenting their senses.

They weren't ready as Hollow'd appeared, his killing intent dominating the air. Already sensing another primordial force, they started moving back.

Taking out his Manifest, Grim Path, he asked calmly "How's the arm?"

"Quite delightful-" Malus started.

A swift slash cut his cheek, causing it to start bleeding. Malus touched it, visibly starting to get angry.

"How dare you make your Lord bleed." he hissed.

"Shut up, Malus. Your commandments are s*** and you know it. You'll pay for your sin, either in hell or earth. " said Hollow'd.

"Why not my domain?" asked Malus curtly.

"Heaven wouldn't accept you. You claim to be God. I know you aren't." answered The Living Portal.

"Shut up, Hollow'd. Don't act so high and mighty, with your godly power." he sneered.

"At least I'm saying my power doesn't justify everything I do. As a claimed God, just because of power, you say you're allowed to break hearts. To destroy the world. To hate so much that you say you're allowed to do anything." said Hollow'd. "I'm here to stop you."

"You're in my domain-" Malus started.

"You're not high enough to reach heaven." interjected Hollow'd. "She woke me up to stop you from living forever. And even though my time is limited, there's one last thing I have to do."

Looking at all of them, he switched his arm to IS mode. The ImmortalSlayer.

In response his left arm changed runes, donning new primordial marking.

"I have to kill the false God."


End file.
